174 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Moreover, during the whole of the time July 2nd to 

 October 5th to 8th, between these dates westerly winds 

 predominated over easterly winds by a minimum of six days. 

 This may be seen from the following statements : — 



July 2nd to August 26th. Minimum number of days 

 of winds with predominance from a westerly quarter are given 

 by Dublin records and consist of 24 days. 



August 27th to October 5th. Maximum number of days 

 of wind with predominance from an easterly quarter are given 

 by Holyhead and consist of 18 days. The maximum difference 

 between the Holyhead and Dublin records gives 24 days in 

 favour of westerly winds. 



In spite of this predominance of westerly winds a greater 

 number of bottles were found on the Irish than on the Welsh 

 coast. 



Again, the whole period of release of the bottles was 

 marked by persistent northerly winds ; yet of the seventeen 

 bottles recovered in the Irish Sea, the eleven bottles from 

 the Irish coast are further north of the line of stations, than 

 the six bottles from the Welsh coast are to the south of it. 

 This points to a general tendency of a drift of surface water 

 to the North in spite of prevailing winds. It is the resultant 

 of all such forces as tide and wind upon the surface layers of 

 water which determines the movements of drift-bottles and 

 which will affect in a like manner the abundance of fish 

 embryos and food existing in the upper layers of the 

 sea. 



Such organisms existing between Holyhead and Dublin 

 during July would have some chance of being off the Welsh 

 coast in August, and a much greater one of being near the 

 coast of Co. Dublin and Co. Louth in October. 



That such movements may be influenced by fortuitous 

 conditions is apparent from the behaviour of the three bottles 

 Nos. 33, 34 and 35. Released at the same station, one was 



