UK) 



PaH III. — Eleventh Annual Report 



highly desirable to procure a continuous record of temperatures of the 

 sea from many more places than at present, it would be better to stop 

 these specific gravity determinations except on board the ' Garland.' 

 The number of breakages makes the upkeep of density determinations 

 expensive. The constant replacing of hydrometers involves careful testing 

 of each new instrument, and great difficulty is experienced in obtain- 

 ing satisfactory apparatus. At the lightships it is not easy to take 

 accurate observations whenever the sea has any swell. In all cases there 

 is the difficulty of obtaining quite comparable results, owing to slight 

 differences in observational methods. 



An approximation to salinity changes can be deduced at most 

 seasons of the year from the temperature observations, although this 

 would give no indication of remarkable freshenings of the water such 

 as occurred at Oxcar at the end of August 1892. Should any of 

 these specific gravity observations be discontinued, it becomes all the 

 more imperative that the temperature observations be made with the 

 utmost care, and that the thermometers supplied be all properly tested 

 and regularly examined. The instruments should be tested at least 

 twice a year, and each station should be visited at least once annually. 



In lieu of specific gravity readings, a series of transparency observations 

 at the two lightships would be most valuable, as well as on board the 

 cruisers. 



In order to obtain observations to give an indication of the conditions 

 of the temperature of the sea at the more important fishing places round 

 the coast of Scotland, it is necessary to equip several new stations. The 

 following are suggested 



On the East Coast observations should be made on the coast of Aber- 

 deenshire, say at Aberdeen itself, in the Moray Firth, and in the Cro- 

 marty Firth, preferably at Cromarty if a good place can be found there, 

 or else at Invergordon. In the Outer Hebrides, stations at Stor noway, 

 Carlo way,* and Barra are necessary. To complete the service, observers 

 should be appointed at Oban and some place near the Mull of Can tyre — 

 Sanda if possible. 



Another matter that might be undertaken by the Fishery Board is an 

 investigation into the effect of climate, of weather (e.g., rain, direction of 

 wind, cloud, &c), of currents, &c, on fishing. The necessary inform- 

 ation could be obtained best by informal conversations with fishermen of 

 all kinds — line and trawl — whose opinions should be carefully noted. 

 Of course, there would be many vague and contradictory statements, 

 but a careful consideration of all statements and a tabulation of common 

 information might lead to definite results. This is hardly a work to be 

 accomplished by issuing printed papers of questions, but rather by personal 

 contact and friendly talks with the fishermen themselves. The worst 

 result will be to discover that nothing but contradictory evidence 

 can be found, and that the present confused condition of our ideas about 

 these important matters cannot be remedied until the results of many 

 years of careful observations, both physical and biological, have accumu- 

 lated. But it is quite as possible that some general indication of the 

 influence of weather and of climate on fishing may be obtained and 

 published, so that the fishermen could make use of the results, confirming 

 or modifying them as their attention was more particularly and systemati- 

 cally directed to the matter. 



* Trial observations are being made at Carloway at present. 



