106 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
Scotland and Ireland, where no such Local Committees 
exist. | 
Tt is considered that the Central Council will regulate 
general investigations of a National and International 
character, leaving to the English, Scottish and Irish 
Government Departments the control over investigations 
of a more local character. The part that the scientific and 
statistical investigations now carried on by some of the 
Local Committees will play in such a scheme of work is 
not obvious. It is evident that the success, in both its 
scientific and its economic aspects, of the organisation 
proposed will depend very largely upon the precise 
modifications of these recommendations which may be 
adopted, the wisdom and moderation with which the 
details are planned and carried out, and finally upon the 
character of the men nominated as members of the Central 
Council. 
The evidence of the witnesses, and some appendices, 
fill a large volume; and although many debatable points 
of considerable interest are raised which might give rise 
to lines of work and discussion on future occasions, it Is 
unnecessary to refer to them now. It may be permitted, 
however, to add that, judging from their statements, some 
of the fisheries investigators from other parts of the 
country are evidently very imperfectly acquainted with the 
size and nature of the steamer, and the other facilities for 
both scientific and economic fisheries investigations, now 
available in the Lancashire and Western District. It is 
partly to give such information to our colleagues on other 
parts of the coast, as well as to put our conditions of work 
on permanent record, in regard to at least oné side of our 
scientific equipment, that we supply in this report a 
description of the Lancashire and Western Sea Fisheries 
steamer “‘ James Fletcher,” drawn up by Captain Wignall 
