124 
THE BREAKING OF THE SHROPSHIRE MERES. 
water was undertaken, although the breaking had been observed for 
many years, the species of alga producing it being Aphanizomenon 
flos-aqua , Ralfs. Here, again, was observed a peculiar fact, 
communicated to me by my friend, the late Mr. Beckwith. In the 
severe winter of 1880-1, Cole Mere was frozen over, when a man 
skating on it, seeing that the water looked muddy, broke the ice 
and found the water full of algae. The same thing occurred in 
Newton Mere during a slight frost. These are the only instances 
hitherto observed of the breaking taking place in frosty weather. 
Crose Mere, which lies three miles and a half south-east of 
Ellesmere, is little more than thirty-eight acres in extent, being 
the remains of an extensive mere which covered the adjacent 
moorland. It was observed to break the 18th May, 1882, by the 
late Mr. Sparling, of Petton, whose gardener sent me samples of 
the water, in which I found Anabcena Hassallii, Nord. and Witt. 
Ellesmere Mere.— This beautiful sheet of water is rather more 
than 115 acres in extent, being the largest in the county, and 
close to the town to which it gives its name. The alga causing the 
breaking is Glceotrichici echinata (Eng. Bot.), and usually appears in 
July and August. The late Mr. Beckwith observed it breaking on 
November 28th, 1883, but then caused by another species of 
alga, viz., Anabce?ia Hassallii , Nord. and Witt. 
Hawk Lake is in the grounds of the Right Hon. the Viscount 
Hill, of Hawkstone, and is about two miles long, but only a few 
hundred yards wide, formed by damming up a small stream. It 
breaks in July, from the growth of Anabana Hassallii , Nord. and 
Witt. 
Kettle Mere is a small mere four-and-a-half acres in extent, 
near Blake Mere, and breaks in July and August, the alga being 
Anaboena Hassallii , Nord. and Witt. 
Marton Pool.— This is fifteen and a half miles north-west of 
Shrewsbury, on the high road to Cliirbury, and is the source of the 
River Rea, a tributary of the Severn ; it is forty acres in extent. 
My attention was first called to it September 7th, 1888, when the 
whole of the water on the lee side was covered with a pale green 
scum, which proved to be Clathrocystis ceruyinosa, Henf. 
June, 1893. 
