MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 287 



good deal of knowledge of the habitats and times of 

 occurrence of the different species. During the ensuing 

 year it is my intention to devote special attention to some 

 of the other less known groups, so that at its close, the 

 detailed report on the shore and bottom fauna of the bay 

 (illustrated by charts), which has been alluded to in 

 former annual reports, may be completed and issued. 



11 Experiments with various reagents have been made 

 from time to time, with a view of discovering new and 

 improving old methods of narcotising and fixing marine 

 animals. Menthol, recommended by Dr. H. C. Sorby, 

 has proved very useful for Hydroida, Siphonophora, and 

 Polyzoa. By dropping a few crystals on the surface of 

 the water in a trough in which I examined Agalmopsis 

 elegans, I was able to keep the specimens quite motionless 

 and in a fully extended condition for some time. The 

 usually refractory Sertularians give very good results. A 

 1 % solution of Cocaine has been used with complete 

 success in narcotising the Lamellibranch, Tapes pullastra, 

 with its siphons fully extended." 



Easter Collecting Party. 



The usual dredging expedition of the Liverpool Marine 

 Biology Committee in the Easter vacation opened very 

 successfully, but was brought to a sad and untimely end 

 on the third day by an unfortunate boat accident in Port 

 Erin Bay. On March 31st dredging and trawling to the 

 east of the Calf Island were carried on from the fisheries 

 steamer " John Fell," and on the following forenoon the 

 working of the " Tanner" closing net, and the method 

 of pumping plankton from the bottom by means of a 

 hose-pipe, were demonstrated to the Students on the 

 steamer. On the afternoon of Saturday, April 1st, two of 

 the workers at the Biological Station wont out to collect 



