MAllINE BIOLOGICAL STATION ON PUFFIN ISLAND. 15 



trict, all from the walls of the sponge caves on the north 

 side. 



On April 11th, Mr. Thompson and I went to join 

 Dr. Hanitsch for a few days in his sponge hmiting. 

 We thought we had experienced all possible methods of 

 reaching St. Seiriol's Isle, except, perhaps, by means of a 

 balloon or a submarine tunnel, but this occasion showed 

 that our resources w^ere not yet quite exhausted. When 

 we arrived at Garth Ferry we found a rough sea, with a 

 strong head wind, and our man in a small ten-foot punt, 

 while the large boat we had expected to meet us was 

 delayed further up the straits, and could not be brought 

 down for some hours. No other boat of sufficient size 

 w^as obtainable, and the boatmen and pilots at the ferry 

 declared that there was a big sea running beyond Beau- 

 maris, and that it would be impossible for anyone to reach 

 Puffin for some hours at least, until the tide had ebbed, and 

 the sea and wind had fallen considerably. But as w^e had 

 determined to be at the island, and make various prepara- 

 tions before the low^ tide, our prospects looked rather blank, 

 and we were just on the point of starting off overland 

 through Anglesey to Penmon, in the hope of being able to 

 get a boat there, and approach our destination from the 

 opposite side, when w^e fortunately caught sight of a small 

 steamer out in the channel with steam up, and in process 

 of weighing anchor. To jump, all three of us, into our 

 punt with our bags and collecting bottles and other impedi- 

 menta, and start in pursuit of the steamer was the work 

 of an instant, and apparently caused no little amusement 

 to the assembled natives on the pier. We pulled furiously, 

 shouting as we went, and waving our handkerchiefs, but 

 our hearts sank as the anchor appeared above the water, 

 the screw began to revolve, and the steamer moved rapidly 

 away from us. Our final yell, however, reached its des- 



