MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 19 



seriously told by a fisherman, who complained that the herring had disap- 

 peared from a portion of tlie coast, that we should find tlie reason for its 

 disappearance in — I think it is the third verse of the fourth chapter of Hosea. 

 (Laughter). I thought that man at any rate, in an age of doubt, had the 

 capacity of belief. (Renewed laughter). But there is no subject to which I 

 could better draw your practical attention than to e.xpound to us the reasons 

 for the migration of tl'e herring, and to point out to the fisher .nen the con- 

 ditions, whether of temperature, of weather, or of food with which they should 

 be acquainted, and which should direct them where to go to reap that great 

 harvest of tlie sea, ^Yllich, depend u[>on it, is su[)plied us as bountifully now 

 as ever. In directing this subject to your notice, I feel that I am leaving it 

 in worthy hands, and that the researches that Professor Herdman and you 

 have made in the past, alford confident assurance of what you may do in tike 

 future. (Applause). In coupling this toast with Professor Herdman's name, I 

 hope you Avill allow me to congratulate him upon the notice which I read in 

 the Times of yesterday, that the Royal Society has admitted him into that 

 charmed circle which has so many attractions for men of science. (Loud 

 applause). Without more Avords, for trains wait for no man, after a certain 

 time, even in the Isle of JNIan (laughter) I give you the "Liverpool Marine 

 Biology Committee," coupled with the names of Professor Herdman, and 

 Mr. Thompson. 



Professor Herdman, in reply to the toast, said : Your Excellency, my Lord 

 Bishop, and Gentlemen, — As Chairman of the Liverpool Marine Biology 

 Committee, whose success and continued prosperity you have so kindly 

 toasted, I beg to thank your Excellency, and you all, gentlemen, for your 

 kind words and your good wishes, and to tell you how grateful we are, as a 

 Committee, for the honour you have done us, and for this inspiriting encourage- 

 ment, and how we hope by our work in the future, to show that we have 

 profited by your support to-day, and have been stirred up to fresh efforts by 

 your appreciation of our work in the past (applause). 



It is now just seven years since this committee was established. It origi- 

 nated in a meeting in JMarch, 1885, held in University College, Liverpool, at 

 which were present the representatives of the colleges, museums, and scientific 

 societies of several neighbouring towns. I pointed out on that occasion how 

 much good work might be done by a number of specialists working together 

 at marine biology, and laid before the meeting the proposal that we should 

 form ourselves into a committee for the purpose of investigating thoroughly 

 the fauna and flora of the neighbouring seas. As the sea shores in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Liverpool are unfortunately not so prolific of life and interesting 

 to the naturalist, as your beautiful coast here, most of our work diu'ing the 

 past six years, has had to be done from steamboats on dredging expeditions. 

 Fortunately, we have had the sympathy and welcome sux)port of some of the 



