68 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



improvement, and it would certainly dimmish the takings 

 of the inshore fishermen. 



Future investigations may, however, lead one to 

 modify this opinion. If, after several years' employment 

 of the 6-inch net, the plaice were, on the whole, to become 

 smaller, the continued use of the latter net might be held 

 to be injurious to the fisheries. The present investiga- 

 tions ought therefore to be continued, and no doubt will 

 be. The results obtained are bound to be of value in 

 relation to regulations of the trawl-net mesh. 



It is pleasant to record that this work of the measure- 

 ment of the plaice captured has been conscientiously and 

 carefully carried out by Capt, Wignall and his Officers, 

 and by the Bailiffs in charge of the districts. 



Hydrography. 



As on former occasions, Dr. Bassett, of the University 

 Chemical Department, has very kindly taken the trouble 

 to examine our samples of sea-water and report upon their 

 salinity. Dr. Bassett contributes two articles to this 

 Report, and in the first of these he discusses the main 

 results obtained from the periodic hydrographic cruises 

 made during 1909 ; while Mr. Johnstone in the next paper 

 gives an account of the temperature observations made 

 on the same cruises, and from some other data. The effect 

 of the distribution of temperature and salinity upon the 

 movements of fishes in our seas is still to be determined, 

 and such papers as those now presented by Dr. Bassett 

 and Mr. Johnstone are important contributions to the 

 subject. The accord which Dr. Bassett points out between 

 the hydrographic observations and the general weather 

 conditions of the British Islands is most interesting. He 

 concludes with the hypothesis that " the peculiar weather 



