300 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
Tue OtTrer NETS. 
In Part II of this report we referred to a criticism 
that had been made as to our surface nets towed from 
the stern of the ship, and in Part III (p. 288) last year 
we showed how a net towed from an otter-board at some 
little distance off the side amidships gave results that 
did not differ in any noteworthy respect from the similar 
net at the stern. In order to test the matter further, 
during 1910 we have used two exactly similar otter nets, 
one on the port and the other on the starboard side of 
the ship. If these two nets, towed simultaneously when 
going head to wind, show in their results just the same 
amount of similarity or of difference as two nets at the 
stern show, or as a stern net shows to one of the otters, 
then surely it 1s obvious that the surface nets towed over 
the stern are not appreciably affected by any action of 
the propeller in stirring up the water. 
The evidence given by our experiments in 1910 is 
perfectly clear. 
We have on record a series of twelve experiments 
made at various localities and under various conditions 
of weather, between April 18th and 25th, which show 
clearly that the two otter nets may differ as much from 
one another as either does from the similar net at the 
stern. 


Date. Locality. Otter Stern Date. Locality. Otter Stern 
nets. net. nets. net. 
April 13 Stat. V. 48-0c.c. 7-0c.c.) April 19 Stat. V. 8-8 19-0 
a 45:5 19-0 
14 Off Port 39-0 37°5 20 Off Peel 25-5 29-5 
St. Mary 29-0 43-0 
15 Stat. II. 47-5 51-0 21 Stat. I. 8-2 5:5 
37:0 3°3 
16 Stat. III. 14:5 5:5 Stat. III. 7:5 6-5 
26-0 7-0 
19 Stat. I. 9-5 16-0 22 Stat. III. 6-3 dy 
18-5 6-0 
Stat. III. 10-0 6:0 25 Stat. III. 3:5 5:5 
8:5 4-2 

