188 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



in the Piel Laboratory Mr. Scott lias been re-investigating 

 the cleansing of shell-fish from sewage bacteria by means 

 of a current of water, to which Professor Boyce and I 

 drew attention some years ago. 



Mr. Scott used mussels taken from a sewage polluted 

 area, and after ascertaining that they contained quan- 

 tities of sewage bacteria, he exposed them to currents of 

 175, 33 and G gallons of clean sea water per hour. The 

 results of a number of experiments show a rapid diminu- 

 tion in the number of bacteria as measured by the 

 colonies produced in petri dishes of neutral-red bile salt 

 agar. At the commencement of the experiment the 

 control mussels showed numbers like 1,200, 1,500 and 

 2,000 colonies, and at the end of 24 and 48 hours numbers 

 like 30, 20 and 10 colonies were found. 



Pressure of other work of late has prevented me from 

 writing more than the present Introductory Section of 

 this Report. I shall hope to return to more detailed work 

 in future years when the Ceylon Pearl Oyster Investiga- 

 tion is off my hands. The opportunities and facilities for 

 detailed biological work in connection with the fisheries of 

 the Irish Sea are increasing every year. Recently the 

 new Biological Station at Port Erin, with laboratories, 

 aquarium, hatchery and open-air pond was opened for 

 work, and during the coming year we hope to move into 

 the splendid new quarters provided by the University of 

 Liverpool for Fisheries Research in the buildings of the 

 Natural History Department now approaching completion 

 in Brownlow Street. There we shall have adequate space 

 for both museum and laboratory work, and the necessary 

 equipment will be provided for all the usual lines of 

 biological and fisheries research. This fine new labora- 

 tory will permit us to do more, and should stimulate us 

 to do it better. W. A. HERDMAK 



University of Liverpool, 

 January, 1905. 



