78 director's report. 



a much more abundant supply of the minute forms of animal life, 

 which serve as food for the larger, is invariably found. 



A commencement has been made on the work of re-arranging and 

 completing the type collection of specimens in the Museum. Several 

 groups are approaching completion, and it is hoped that before long we 

 shall have a representative series of the fauna and flora of the neigh- 

 bourhood. 



Two valuable additions have been made to the Library through the 

 kindness of Sir William Flower, and of the Director of the Eoyal 

 Gardens at Kew. To the former we are indebted for a complete set of 

 the Philosojjhical Transactions of the liOj/al Society/ from 1857 to 1886, 

 and to the latter for a bound copy of Buffon's Ilistoirc Naturelle. The 

 Library is still very incomplete, and any addition to it will be much 

 valued. Situated as we are, so far from London, and from any scientific 

 library of importance, it is very necessary that our own supply of liter- 

 ature, both zoological and botanical, should be as complete as possible. 

 A large number of standard works we, unfortunately, do not yet possess. 



The outdoor work of the Association has been regularly carried on, 

 and several captures of interest have been made. The sailing boat, 

 Anton Dohrn, has been used for work in the Sound, and the small steam 

 tug, Lorna, has been hired for work outside. This boat, however, 

 although very suitable for short distances, is not sufficiently large to 

 make expeditions of any length. A short account of the most note- 

 worthy features of the fauna, and the most interesting captures which 

 have been made, will be found in another part of the present number 

 of the Journal. 



We have been fortunate in obtaining from the Government Grant 

 Committee of the Eoyal Society, a grant towards the expenses of boat 

 hire in connection with an attempt to extend our dredging and trawling 

 work to the deeper water lying between Start Point and the Eddystone. 

 The unsettled weather of the past month has interfered, to some extent, 

 with this work, but the results so far obtained give promise of the 

 discovery of valuable collecting grounds, which would be within our 

 reach if we had a suitable boat to visit them. These investigations will 

 be continued at every available opportunity during the summer, and it is 

 hoped that some, at any rate, of the results will be ready for publication 

 in the next number of the Journal. 



I am glad to be able to state that the number of workers who have 

 made use of the Laboratory has somewhat increased. The complete list 

 from the beginning of the year is as follows: — 



J. C. Sumner, January 2nd to February 28th (Echinodcrm fauna). 



11. Assheton, M.A., February 1st to February 15th ( Elasmohranch 

 dcvclojjnient). 



