SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 



255 



corner of the Wirral peninsula to well below "Warren 

 station. One sewer (No. 9) discharges untreated sewage 

 at a point rather near to the eastern extremity of the bed. 

 I visited the bed with Mr. Eccles on June 24th of this 

 year. We looked for the usual evidences of sewage 

 pollution (water-closet paper) but could not find any. 

 The bed is very soft, from the accumulation of mud 

 underneath the mussels. Here and there the surf had 

 broken up large portions of this muddy sub-stratum and 

 the mussels were being smothered and destroyed. It is 

 to this cause that the foetid smell, that could be perceived 

 at times, was due. The mussels were mostly very small, 

 but were well nourished. The sample collected for 

 analysis was taken from every accessible portion of the 

 bed. 



Ten mussels were examined with the following 

 results : — 



PRIMARY CULTURES OX NEUTRAL-RED AGAR PLATES. 



Mussel. 



Number of ' ' Colon-like ' ' 

 Colonies. 



1 



19 



2 



5 



3 







4 



9 



5 



7 



6 



11 



7 



3 



8 



5 



9 



21 



10 



3 



