146 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 



REPORT ON THE HYDROGRAPHIC WORK IN THE 



EASTERN PORTION OE THE IRISH SEA BETWEEN 



JULY, 1906, AN J) NOVEMBER, 1907. 



By Henry Bassett, Jim., B.Sc, Ph.D., Demonstrator and 



Assistant Lecturer in Chemistry in the University 



of Liverpool. 



The seas surrounding the British Isles are filled with 

 only slightly diluted Atlantic water. 



Speaking generally, the water filling the Irish Sea is 

 a good deal more dilute than that in the English Channel 

 and the North Sea, and, owing to the tidal current which 

 runs from South to North through the Irish Sea and round 

 the North Coast of Scotland, the water from the Irish Sea 

 plays a very important part in the dilution of the Atlantic 

 water which goes to fill the North Sea. 



The Irish Sea is plainly so dilute because of the large 

 volumes of fresh water flowing into it from the land. 



Now a very large proportion indeed of the fresh 

 water running into the Irish Sea runs into that portion 

 of it which is situated to the East of a Hue drawn from 

 Burrow Head, in Wigtownshire, due South to Anglesey ; 

 for most of the drainage from the parts of England and 

 North Wales having the largest rainfall passes into this 

 portion. This part of the Irish Sea is also remarkable for 

 its strong tides, and these, owing to the peculiar con- 

 formation of the coast line, and the position of the Isle 

 of Man, cause a very thorough mixing of the waters, and 

 ensure the efficient dilution of any salter water coming in 

 from the South. 



