SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 183 



the advisability of prohibiting Mussels being removed for 

 human food : but there are other places where — although 

 sewage outfalls are nearer the Mussel Beds than one could 

 wish — the deposit is mixed with a large quantity of water, 

 and there is no direct evidence that the fish are in anyway 

 polluted. To my mind it would be of assistance in safe- 

 guarding the public if samples of Mussels were regularly 

 sent to the Laboratories, examined by experts, and when 

 found polluted the Sea Fishery Committees should have 

 power to temporarily close the bed pending further action 

 by the different County Authorities, Local Government 

 Board, or Board of Trade." 



It will be seen that in this report, made in October, 

 1903, Mr. Dawson recommends that when samples of 

 mussels were found to be polluted the Sea Fisheries 

 Committees should have power to temporarily close beds 

 pending further action by County and Central authorities. 



As a result of Mr. Dawson"s report, samples of mussels 

 from the Mersey were sent to the Liverpool Sea Fisheries 

 Laboratory for inspection, and I give below the report 

 which I sent in as the result of Mr. Johnstone's bacterio- 

 logical examination. This report has also been laid before 

 the Committee and made public, and has been submitted 

 to Lord Onslow at the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. 

 Bacteriological Report on Mussels collected at Rock Ferry, 

 on 4th November, 1903. 



" The mussels brought to the laboratory were rather 

 small, and the fish were very thin and soft. The mantles, 

 or parts of the body where the spawn should be developing 

 rapidly at this time of the year, were very thin. The 

 byssus or ' weed ' was very easily torn away. Quite apart 

 from the question of sewage contamination, the fish were in 

 very poor condition as articles ofjood. 



