MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION ON PUFFIN ISLAND. 23 



Exhibition, where the square mouth of the net is closed 

 when required by a bhnd unrolled by the action of a 

 descending weight. 



Mr. Hoyle's net has been ingeniously devised to perform 

 these same actions by means of a complex mechanism and 

 two leaden "messengers," which are sent down the rope 

 from the boat, the first to open the mouth of the net, and 

 the second to close it. On account of the unfavourable 

 weather, we were not able to give this net a fair trial on 

 the "Hyaena" cruise; but later on, during the " Spindrift" 

 expedition, it worked very satisfactorily. 



The first day (April 18th) was spent in crossing to Port 

 Erin, and after that the weather, although fine on land, 

 became very unfavourable for marine work, and the 

 programme had to be considerably altered. On Friday 

 morning we steamed S.W. towards the deep water, but a 

 strong wind was blowing, and after a haul of the dredge 

 in twenty-seven fathoms, about five miles out, some 

 bottom and surface tow -netting, a sounding in fifty 

 fathoms, and then a further run to about nine miles from 

 land, it was found that the heavy rolling of the vessel 

 (even after the surface agitation had been considerably 

 quieted down by the use of oil-bags hung over the wind- 

 ward bow) rendered dredging operations impossible out 

 in the open sea; so the "Hyaena" was put about and 

 returned to Port Erin, where tow-netting and other work 

 was carried on in the bay. 



The following day the wind was still stronger, so it was 

 then decided to give up the Anglesey part of the cruise, and 

 devote most of the remaining days to shore and shallow 

 water work around the southern end of the Isle of Man. 

 Accordingly, the rocks at Port Erin, Port St. Mary, 

 Poyllvaaish Bay, and Fleshwick Bay were explored on 

 the third day, and many specimens collected. On the 



