244 ‘TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
THE YIELD OF THE COCKLE BEDs. 
In seeking for figures on which to base an estimate 
of the productiveness of the Lancashire cockle fisheries, 
one turns naturally to the published statistics of the 
Board of Trade which relate to fisheries. Here, how- 
ever, there is little available information, for statistics 
are only collected at the most important ports, and 
although the collectors discriminate between the various 
animals landed, crustacea (crabs, lobsters and shrimps), 
and mollusca (oysters, mussels and cockles) are included 
in the figures relating to ‘‘shell-fish.” Owing to this 
latter cause, comparisons between the amounts of cockles 
landed at the same port during different years is im- 
possible, and from the fact also that no account is taken 
of the produce landed at many important cockling centres, 
even an approximate estimate of the value of the Lan- 
cashire cockle beds cannot be made. 
In the absence of any published data, an estimate of 
the value of the fishery has been attempted. by finding 
approximately the number of cocklers employed on the 
various beds, and the amount gathered daily by each 
during the time of the year when the fishing is most 
active. Obviously, only an approximation to the true 
output of the beds can be made by this method, and it 
has been regarded as preferable to under-estimate rather 
than over-estimate the produce of the fishery. The totals 
given in Table IV. then represent, at the least, the value 
of the Lancashire cockle fishery. The figures, as to the 
number of cocklers, &c., have been given for the most part 
by the officers of the Lancashire Sea-Fisheries Committee. 
Those for the Northern Division are given by Mr. J. 
Wright, chief fishery officer at Piel, and the corresponding 
statement for the Southern Division by Mr. G. Eccles, 
chief officer at New Brighton. Mr. R. L. Ascroft has 
