SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 121 



is now working from Dublin as a centre in the Western 

 part of our own area. Tf this could be supplemented by a 

 Lancashire steamer devoted wholly to statistical and scien- 

 tific work, the two working on a common programme, there 

 would be a fair prospect that this the most definitely cir- 

 cumscribed of the British seas * would be adequately in- 

 vestigated. It is only now a question of expense. Sufficient 

 preliminary investigations have been made, we know exactly 

 what we want to do, and the Irish steamer is now at work. 

 All that is required is an additional steamer for scientific 

 work in the Lancashire District and funds to carry out 

 the scientific programme. In previous reports i have 

 shown the suitability of the Irish Sea for such work, and 

 I am interested to see that Dr. Johan Hjort, in a recent 

 publication! expresses a somewhat similar opinion in 

 regard to some of the local sea-areas on the Norwegian 

 Coast as compared with the North Sea. He says : — " We 

 consider that the conditions affecting those small localities 

 on our Coast are exceptionally synoptic, and far easier to 

 grasp than those of the exceptionally complicated and vast 

 territory of the North Sen, in which the Plaice lives." 



Finally, I should, perhaps, explain here (1) that my 

 approaching departure for Ceylon, to carry out an 

 investigation on the Pearl Oyster fishery for the Govern- 

 ment, has necessitated the issue of the present report a 

 few weeks earlier than usual, and (2) that although all the 

 manuscript and the first proofs have passed through my 

 bands, I have had to leave Mr. Johnstone to read the 



pages for the press. 



W. A. Herdman. 

 University College, Liverpool. 

 December, 1001. 



* The Irish Sea contains about 10,000 square miles, and is about one- 

 twentieth part of the size of the North Sea. 

 t Report on Norwegian Fishery and Marine Investigations, Vol. I., 

 p. 152 ; Kristiania, 1900. 



