SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 97 



the Saturday afternoon of each week during the last of 

 the series of Fishermen's Classes. The second class was 

 held by desire of some of the Morecambe teachers, and 

 was taken advantage of by the head master and first 

 assistant from three of the schools. The Barrow teachers 

 travelled to and from Piel by train each day. The six 

 Morecambe teachers came during the Whitsuntide vaca- 

 tion and lived in the establishment during that week. 

 Four hours' instruction were given on the Tuesday, Wed- 

 nesday, Thursday and Friday, and the men spent the 

 remainder of the time investigating the shores and neigh- 

 bourhood. The first class was, conducted by Mr. John- 

 stone and myself : the second one, in the unavoidable 

 absence of Mr. Johnstone, I carried on alone. The 

 course in each case was a practical one, and instruction 

 was given in the structure, life history and habits of 

 common marine animals, such as the cod, the shore crab 

 and its allies, the cockle, the mussel, the oyster, micro- 

 scopic life in the sea water collected by the tow-net, the 

 various animals living on the shore between tidemarks, 

 and material washed up from the sea bottom. 



Much interest was shown by the teachers in the work, 

 and from the remarks made at the conclusion of the 

 course, . it was evident that a continuation of these Nature 

 Study Classes at Piel would receive much support from 

 school teachers in Lancashire. For teachers resident in 

 Barrow, evening and Saturday meetings are most con- 

 venient: for others, vacation courses alone would be pos- 

 sible, unless other arrangements, involving leave of 

 absence, could be secured. 



To the school teachers of Lancashire, Piel offers many 

 advantages for the study of common marine animals and 

 plants. From a distance the shore at low water may 

 seem very unintei esting 1 and barren, but a more careful 



