270 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
On the last of these occasions (September 12th), when 
the thermometer came up from 60 fathoms it read 57° F, 
Thinking that this might be a mistake it was lowered to 
the depth again, and this time it read 53° F., and the 
record was corrected to that figure; but it is just possible 
that the former temperature may have been correct for a 
very limited layer of water into which the thermometer 
had passed on the first occasion, since it will be noticed 
that in all four of these series of temperatures in mid- 
channel there is apparently an indication of a warmer 
layer near the bottom lying underneath colder water— 
on August 17th (A) at 60 fathoms and (B) at 72 fathoms, 
on August 24th at 50 fathoms, and on September 12th, if 
the first reading was. correct, at 60 fathoms. It is 
important to remember that all of these four series were 
taken in that central region of the western part of the 
Irish Sea which is marked on the charts and in the 
“Sailing Directions” as having no perceptible tidal 
stream and where the deeper layers of water are probably 
comparatively little disturbed, and are certainly not 
churned up at every tide as seems to be the case in the 
shallow water between the Isle of Man and England or 
Wales. The deep water to the west of Port Erin still 
awaits investigation as to its physical conditions, its 
movements, if any, and its possible connection with 
oceanic water outside the Irish Sea; and the compara- 
tively few and rather sporadic temperatures recorded 
above have been given chiefly for the purpose of showing 
how little has yet been done, but how interesting in 
several ways thisdeep western channel may prove to be. 
Mr. Drew took samples of the sea-water from each 
position where serial temperatures were observed, and he 
has worked out the salinities, but considers that the 
results are not sufficiently complete to justify publication, 
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