58 i LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
report upon the work that had been done during the 
summer, and to decide upon future plans. Altogether nearly 
£140 had been received during the summer, in the form of 
donations,* and the greater part of this had been expended 
in repairing and fitting up the station, and in paying the 
wages of the keeper and his assistant. A small steam- 
launch, the ‘‘ Puffin,’ twenty-six feet in length, had also 
been obtained, but as stormy weather had already set in, 
it was thought best not to take the little vessel down to 
the island till spring. She is now in dock, and it is hoped 
that she will be of great service next summer in keeping 
up communication from the station with Beaumaris and 
Bangor, and for dredging round the island. 
One of the most important matters to be settled by the 
committee was whether or not the station should be closed 
up during the winter. For several reasons it was thought 
very desirable to keep it open all the year round—so as to be 
able to obtain specimens in various stages of development, 
and so that observations could be made upon the winter 
as well as the summer fauna of the shores and of the 
surface waters of the sea—and as Mr. Rutherford, who 
had recently married, offered to carry on his duties as 
keeper during the winter without an assistant, the com- 
mittee decided it should not be closed, so long as the funds 
at their disposal sufficed to pay the working expenses. 
Since the beginning of October there have been few 
visitors at Puffin Island. Although in summer the island 
is easily reached from Liverpool by means of the fast 
steamers from the landing stage to Beaumaris, in winter it 
is rather difficult of access and the journey is long and 
troublesome. One has to take train by Chester and North 
Wales to Bangor, and then either proceed by coach round 
by Menai Bridge to Beaumaris, or walk to Garth Ferry, 
* See list, p. 63. 
