MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 207 



on the Medusae by Mr. Browne, Kevised Keport on the 

 Amphipoda and Isopoda by Mr. Walker, on the Nemer- 

 tida by Messrs. Beaumont and Vanstone, and possibly a 

 Keport on the Fishes by Prof. Herdman and Mr. Corbin. 



Finally, it may interest some to know that at a recent 

 visit paid to the Station in December we found the place 

 in excellent order, it having been kept well aired and 

 cleaned, and the tanks well looked after by the laboratory 

 boy, William Bridson. In one tank we found vast swarms 

 of Copepoda had made their appearance : Mr. Thompson 

 identified them as Harpacticus fidvus. Swarms of Cope- 

 poda made their appearance suddenly in June in an 

 aquarium at University College, and they proved on exami- 

 nation to be Idija furcata. In another tank at Port Erin 

 we found that a common anemone had a few days before 

 produced upwards of 50 young ones. There is every pros- 

 pect that when we re-open the station at Easter, with a 

 resident curator, the tanks will be thoroughly '' estab- 

 lished " and in excellent condition for more complete 

 stocking. 



In addition to the speciographic investigations and the 

 bionomical work — such as the relations between the struc- 

 ture and colours of animals and their surroundings and 

 habits — which have occupied a good deal of our attention 

 both at Puffin Island and at Port Erin there is another allied 

 subject well worthy of careful observation, and that is the 

 association of species together, and an enquiry into the 

 causes thereof. The distribution of every species is no 

 doubt determined by definite factors which we may hope 

 some time to ascertain by observation and experiment ; 

 some of these factors are known to be the temperature 

 and the salinity of the water and the nature of the bottom, 

 others are doubtless the presence or absence of other 



