^6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



groups of animals, and in fact he paid most attention to Mollusca, 

 and only recorded in addition the Echinodermata and a few of 

 the Zoophytes. Still we may be thankful for what he has gi\'en 

 us at such an early date, and it will be interesting to see what 

 can be made of it in comparison with our observations at the 

 present time. He ends his paper with the following para- 

 graph : — 



" I have drawn up these observations chiefly in the hope of 

 inducing others to present us with similar reviews of the shell- 

 banks of our coast. Greology and zoology will gain as much by 

 inquiring how our marine animals are associated together as by 

 investigating genera and species, though the former subject has, 

 as yet, been but little attended to in comparison with the latter."' 



That sentiment is in such thorough accord with the views of 

 nature frequently expressed in these rooms, that I am sure you 

 will approve of Forbes's observations of seventy years ago, and of 

 my view that the work he began should now be continued and 

 extended. 



As yet we have had only a few days' work on the Ballaugh 

 bank, and if we have already found more species than Eorbes 

 records, that does not necessarily lead us to the conclusion that 

 the fauna is now more abundant, since we have dealt with some 

 groups of animals that were not given in the older list, and 

 possibly our modern methods with a convenient steamer, an 

 Agassiz trawl and wire-rope enable us to work more rapidly and 

 effectively. But looking merely at the groups recorded by Forbes, 

 w^e find that we have not found quite so many Mollusca, but a 

 great many more Zoophytes and Polyzoa. The bank seems to be 

 particularly rich in Nudibranchiata and in Coelenterata ; in one 

 haul we counted 200 beautiful colonies of Alcyonium digitatum, 

 including both white and orange forms. 



There is no object in making a detailed comparison or in 

 attempting to draw any conclusions until we have done more 

 work on the bank, and accumulated a greater number of records. 

 It occurred to me, however, that it would be interesting to extend 

 the range of the observations by including two other shell-banks 

 under somewhat different conditions, and showing apparently very 

 different bottom-deposits. These are (1) the Train bank, lying 

 about 8 miles N.W. of Port Erin, where there is a good deal of 

 mud mixed M'ith the sand ; and (2) the Wart bank, lying 2 miles 

 S. of Spanish Head, near Port St. Mary, and having the bottom 

 formed chiefly of broken shells and other calcareous fragments. 

 These three banks — the Ballaugh, the Train, and the Wart — 

 lying in the " Coralline" zone off the Isle of Man, ought, in the 

 end, to give us interesting information in regard to the common 

 characteristics and the individual features of such fishing banks 

 in our seas. The problems of the sea are still manifold, and at 

 least as important, in their connection with human affairs, as any 

 that confront the modern biologist. 



