of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



13 



description is given by Mr FuUarton of the Shrimp and Flounder 

 Fisheries, as carried on in the Solway Firth, and the results of his 

 inquiries into the young flat-fish captured ia the trawl nets are de- 

 scribed. There is also a paper describing the habits of the Greenland 

 whale, containing careful observations on the nature of the food of 

 these animals, their size at different ages, and their habits generally. 



Physical Observations. 



Report on Ohscrvations relating to the Physics and Chemistry of the 

 North Sea. — The mass of data regarding the physics and chemistry 

 of sea water which are embodied in previous lieports relate almost 

 entirely to the waters lying more immediately off the Coast of 

 Scotland. It was therefore decided to extend the area investigated 

 to that of the North Sea generally. Such extension seemed all the 

 more desirable as the analytical results arrived at in different years 

 were apparently contradictory. 



Dr Gibson was accordingly requested to undertake the direction 

 of an expedition during September and the early part of October on 

 board H.M.S. ' Jackal' in order to investigate the physical and 

 chemical conditions existing in the North Sea, 



The Keport gives an account of the observational work accomp- 

 lished during the cruise, and also of a series of observations made 

 during January and February off the Northern Coast of Scotland 

 and in the Moray Firth. These observations were supplemented 

 by the examination in the Chemical Laboratory of the University 

 of- Edinburgh of the large number of samples of sea-water collected 

 in 1888 and 1889. 



The results of this laborious analytical investigation, in which 

 the author was assisted by several fellow-workers, are given in 

 detail in Part II. of his Pieport. After an exhaustive discussion of 

 the more recent results taken in conjunction with those published 

 in previous reports, the very important and quite unexpected 

 conclusion is reached that two chemically distinct kinds of sea-water 

 are present in the North Sea, and that the apparently contradictory 

 results obtained in previous years were due to the coming and going 

 of these different waters. 



The nature of the influence of admixture of sea-water with land 

 water is discussed, and the conclusion is arrived at that mere 

 admixture with land water cannot possibly be the cause of the 

 difference between the two kinds of water, but that two distinct 

 kinds of ocean water penetrate iuto the area of the North Sea, the 

 one being probably of arctic or northern, and the other of southern 

 origin. 



Whatever may prove to be the true explanation of these differ- 

 ences, the recognition of the fact of their existence is of very great 

 interest, as it may be related to the migrations of herrings and other 

 fishes. 



4. Contemporary Fishery Work. 



An account is given under Section B of the scientific fishery 

 work carried on elsewhere in this country, on the" Continent, and 

 in America. We are much indebted for the information obtained 



