SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. .149 



same) is much greater where brackish water flows at 

 times over the bed, and it is a well known fact that 

 Mussels in such a place thrive and grow much more 

 quickly than those in pure sea water, no doubt through 

 the large quantity of food brought down by the rivers. 

 So much is this the case that every year Mussels are 

 removed from the scars on the seaward side of the River 

 Wyre below Fleetwood and placed in the same river above 

 Fleetwood to have the benefit of the brackish water. 



The number of young Mussels (eggs and embryos) given 

 off by their parents must be in quantity simply enormous. 

 At Southport during the autumn, if a rope's end is 

 allowed to hang in the water for the space of a month 

 you find it at the end of that time coated with Mussels, 

 like a swarm of bees hanging on a bough. 



Boats, buoys, and all wrecks or posts near low-water 

 mark are smothered with them. These objects form 

 natural bouchots from which the young Mussels might 

 well be removed for cultivation elsewhere. 



Report on the Physiology of Colour-Change in 

 hlppolyte and other marine crustacea. 



By F. W. Keeble, M.A., and F. W. Gamble, M.Sc, 

 Owens College, Manchester. 



By the recommendation of Prof. Herdman and the 

 permission of the Lancashire Sea-Fisheries Committee, 

 we were allowed to utilise the Piel Laboratory for the 

 purpose of investigating the colour-physiology of 

 Hippolyte varians. We paid two short visits (from May 

 27th to 30th, and July 1st to 5th) in order to ascertain 

 the resources of the Laboratory and to discover the 

 localities in which Hippolyte could be obtained. As these 



