MAEINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 21 



Hyclr actinia ecJiinata 

 Sertularia abietina 

 Hydra llmania fa lea ta 

 Aurelia aurita 

 Gyancea, sp. 



C aligns, sp. 

 Flnstra foliacea 

 Aphrodite aculeata 

 Pectinaria belgica 

 Nereis, sp. 

 Asterias rubens 



These numbers have been exceeded on many other 

 hauls in the ordinary course of work by the Fisheries 

 steamer in Liverpool Bay. For example, on this occasion 

 the fish numbered 5,943, and I have records of hauls in 

 which the fish numbered over 20,000. The shrimps 

 probably number as many again, and if the starfishes and 

 other abundant invertebrates are added the total must 

 sometimes reach such enormous numbers as from 45,000 

 to 50,000 specimens in a single haul of the trawl in 

 shallow w T ater, not including microscopic forms. Hauls 

 such as this are doubtless as prolific of individuals as any 

 of those hauls sometimes quoted containing large numbers 

 of specimens (of a very few species) of Copepoda and 

 Schizopoda from waters deeper than 50 fathoms,* and are 

 certainly far more prolific in species and genera ; while 

 hauls such as the three quoted above under dates June 

 23rd and October 27th compare favourably as to variety 

 of life, i.e., as to number of species and genera, with the 

 deep water hauls of the "Challenger" expedition made 

 with a far larger trawl. 



On the next occasion, when on board the " John Fell," 

 on our own expedition of August 3rd, two members of 

 this Committee (A. O. Walker and W. A. Herdman) 

 identified the species brought up in the first haul of the 



* Such as those referred to by Mr. Turbyne in " Nature " for October 24th, 

 189"), which illustrate an interesting case of distribution of a very few 

 species but do not affect the argument given above for the relative richness, 

 haul for haul, of the shallow as compared with the deeper waters. 



