SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 187 



and detailed as possible, and the result is that we have 

 now at our disposal a much larger number of samples 

 than has ever been collected before in such a limited 

 period from the Irish Sea — possibly a greater number of 

 samples than has been obtained in one year from any 

 other part of the British coasts. The total number is 

 885 obtained from our northern portion of the Irish Sea 

 bounded by lines drawn between Holyhead, Liverpool, 

 Barrow and Port Erin, in the year 1907 ; and of these the 

 majority, 650, are from a very limited area in the 

 immediate neighbourhood of Port Erin. 



At the South end of the Isle of Man, where these 

 gatherings were taken, there are very important fishing 

 grounds which are frequented by trawlers from Lancashire 

 and from Ireland, as well as by the Manx fishermen. This, 

 as well as the circumstance that we have there, within a 

 few miles, a sheltered sandy bay, an exposed rocky coast, a 

 narrow strait and an area of open sea with depths reaching 

 to 70-80 fathoms, has led us to consider Port Erin a very 

 suitable locality for a more exhaustive or intensive study 

 of the Marine Plankton than has yet been attempted on 

 our coast. 



Previous Local Work. 



The Liverpool Marine Biology Committee started a 

 scheme for taking weekly plankton gatherings in this 

 district of the Irish Sea as long ago as 1888, and although 

 as the result of weather, changes in the staff and other 

 varying conditions, many gaps have been left from time 

 to time in the series, that aim has been constantly before 

 us, and the practice has been kept up intermittently. A 

 good deal of material was collected from the neighbour- 

 hood of Puffin Island, and from Port Erin in these early 

 years, and was examined and reported upon by the late 



