MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 45 



Mr. Watson has completed his work on the tube- 

 building habits of Panthalis oersted i, referred to in last 

 report, and his paper on the subject, witli two plates, has 

 been published in Vol. IV. of the "Fauna." One of the 

 specimens of Panthalis from Port Erin lived in Mr. 

 "Watson's Aquarium at Sheffield from September 30th, 

 1894, to October 8th, 1895, when as it seemed ailing he 

 killed it with corrosive. 



Dr. J. D. F. Gilchrist who has paid several short visits 

 to the Biological Station, and worked there for some time 

 at Easter, has sent in the following report upon his work 

 to the Director : — " During my stay at the Marine Station 

 at Port Erin, I was chiefly concerned with the Mollusca, 

 but found the frequent shore collecting and dredging 

 excursions very profitable for general work. Aplysia 

 was found in abundance by dredging and I took this 

 opportunity of trying various methods of killing the 

 animal in an expanded condition. After trying several, 

 I found the following the only method which could be 

 depended on with certainty. A few drops of a 5 % solution 

 of cocain were mixed with the water in which the Aplysias 

 were. After a time they expanded fully. They were then 

 left in the solution (12 hours or more) till no contraction 

 took place when removed and put into weak alcohol. If 

 contraction took place they would be put back into the 

 cocain solution when they again expanded. This was 

 repeated till no contraction took place, when they could, 

 after a time, be put into stronger alcohol. Other 

 methods though simpler, and not so tedious, were less 

 dependable and at best gave a somewhat abnormally 

 inflated appearance. 



"At Prof. Herdman's suggestion a solution of formol was 

 tried as a preserving fluid for Aplysia and Pleurobranchus. 

 In both cases a considerable amount of colouring matter 



