SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 117 



men have also written long after returning to their homes, 

 expressing the pleasure they had had in the fortnight's 

 work at Piel and their thanks for the practical instruction 

 they had been given and for the plain way in which things 

 were put before them. 



" There can be no doubt that these classes are of practical 

 value to the fishermen. All those who have been with us 

 freely admitted that many of the views they held regarding 

 the spawning, development, and rate of growth of fish and 

 other economic marine animals were erroneous. We are 

 convinced that it is only by allowing each man to study 

 the animals for himself, make dissections and examine 

 material with the microscope that lasting good can be 

 obtained. A course of instruction such as is given to the 

 fishermen w T ould be of great help to the Bailiffs when 

 collecting specimens and tow 7 -nettings for the Laboratories. 



" Various members of the Committee visited the classes 

 from time to time to see the progress of the work, including 

 Mr. Fell, Mr. Ascroft, Mr. Houldsworth, Mr. Dawson and 

 Professor Herdman, all of whom addressed the men on the 

 objects and work of the classes." 



We had hoped this year to have bad a report from Mr. 

 R. L. Ascroft upon the tow-net gatherings taken throughout 

 the district. The scheme for the periodic collection of 

 gatherings from the surface of the sea at certain fixed 

 places was started in 1900, and during that year about 150 

 samples of material were examined by Mr. Ascrolt and the 

 results have been tabulated. During 1901 the work has 

 been carried on, and about the same number of gatherings 

 have been made, chiefly by Captain Wignall from the 

 steamer " John Fell," by Mr. Eccles in Liverpool Bay, and 

 by Mr. Wright in Barrow Channel and Morecambe Bay. 

 Many of these have been examined, but Mr. Ascroft's recent 



