152 THE FAUNA OF THE SALCOMBE ESTUARY. 



I. Introduction. 



In connection with the work of the Plymouth Laboratory it has been 

 the custom of the Marine Biological Association for several years past 

 to extend its operations during the summer months to the various 

 harbours on the coast of Devon and Cornwall, with a view to making 

 a comparative study of the faunas found in the different localities and 

 of correlating, so far as that may be possible, differences in the character 

 of the fauna with differences in the physical conditions prevailing in 

 each. In former years this has been done by making occasional visits, 

 lasting generally for a few days only, in our small steamer, the Busy 

 Bee. It was found, however, that if investigations of this character 

 were to be satisfactorily carried out some arrangement would have to be 

 made for remaining in one locality for longer periods, and working each 

 harbour in turn in more detail. jMr. J. W. Woodall kindly came to our 

 assistance and purchased the hull of an old cruising yacht, which he 

 caused to be fitted as a small floating laboratory and house-boat, and 

 placed at our disposal for use in connection with the researches. This 

 vessel, the Dawn, which can be towed by our own steamer, has been 

 stationed at Salcombe during the present summer and has proved herself 

 to be very well adapted to the work for which she was intended. We 

 have also to thank Mr. Woodall for defraying the expenses of keeping 

 the Daivn at Salcombe. 



The harbour of Salcombe is of special interest to zoologists from the 

 fact that it was the hunting ground of George Montagu, in the early 

 years of the century, and it was from specimens collected in this locality 

 that many of our marine animals were first made known to science and 

 accurately described. It was partly for this reason, and also because 

 on previous short visits very promising results had been obtained, that 

 we decided to make Salcombe the first of the harbours to investigate in 

 detail. The present report consists almost entirely of a record of facts 

 with regard to the nature and distribution of the fauna as we have 

 found it during the present summer, consideration and discussion of' 

 these facts and comparison with the conditions prevailing in other 

 localities being held over until further investigations on a similar plan 

 have been carried out elsewhere. 



It is only by a large number of detailed records of this kind, where 

 all possible information is given as to the exact localities and conditions 

 in which each species is found, that we can hope to ascertain the 

 general principles which underlie the distribution of the animals which 

 live in the sea. 



In the compilation of the present record a number of naturalists 



