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On the Fauna of the Outer Western Area of the English 



Channel. 



By 

 L. B. Crawshay, M.A. 



With Plate VI. 



In a previous number of this Journal* a Eeport was published by 

 Mr. E. H. Worth on the geological collections made in the English 

 Channel by the Association's steamer Oithona in 1906, combined with 

 other previously unpublished geological records relating to the same 

 area. The general features of the area concerned, with details of the 

 dredgings on this occasion, were described by me (4) in an accompany- 

 ing paper. It was hoped that the Eeport on the Fauna then collected, 

 for which indeed the cruises were specially arranged, would be pub- 

 lished long before now ; but owing to unavoidable causes the complete 

 working out of the material has been unfortunately delayed for a long 

 interval. 



The area of investigation as illustrated by the accompanying chart 

 extends roughly from ten to fifty miles outside the Eddystone Light- 

 house, in a S.W. Mag. direction, and ranges from 40 to 53 fathoms 

 in depth, reaching about the mid-Channel line near the latter sounding. 

 A few points already dealt with in the paper referred to may be 

 repeated here. The nature of the ground over the whole area, with 

 the exception of the first few miles, may be generally described as 

 shell, sand, and gravel, largely intermixed with stones, which often 

 reach very considerable dimensions, and show a gradual increase in 

 average size as the distance increases outwards, the highest average 

 being obtained near the outermost point that was reached. The 

 inner limit of exposure of these stones was found at fifteen miles to 

 the south-westward of the Eddystone. At positions falling inside this 

 point the bottom deposit consists of a clean shell sand, much finer than 

 is found at any other point in the area concerned. 



As regards the gear employed, the otter trawl was used at Positions 

 3 and 4, within the fine sandy area last mentioned, and at Positions 7, 

 8, 49, 64, 66, 68 and 78, outside it ; but the frequent occurrence of 

 large stones involved too great a risk to use the otter trawl often 

 at the outer positions, and with the exception of those taken with the 

 Agassiz trawl at Positions 45, 46, 52, 59 and 60, all the remaining 



* Journ. Mar. Biol. Assoc, N.S., Vol. VIII., p. 118. 



