224 THE SCOTTISH MAEINE STATION AND ITS WOEK. 



of head-quarters for work on the west coast. The " Medusa " 

 has for some time back been employed almost exclusively on 

 the west coast ; her build is rather light for the heavy 

 swells often experienced in the Firth of Forth, and her place 

 on the east coast has been supplied by the hiring of tugs, 

 and by expeditions in steam-trawlers and herring-boats as 

 occasion requires. 



The institution has from the commencement been under 

 the direction of Dr. John Murray, and at the present 

 moment the staff consists of the following members : — The 

 scientific work of the laboratory at Granton is mainly under 

 the direction of Mr. J. Arthur Thomson, M.A,, the general 

 charge of the premises being undertaken by the custodian 

 Mr. W. Bell, who resides on them. On the west coast 

 Mr. David Robertson, F.L.S., whose researches in Scottish 

 zoology are so well known, has been good enough to exercise 

 supervision over the ''Ark" since its removal to Millport; 

 the " Medusa '^ has been under the care of Mr. Alexander 

 Turbyne, to whose practical skill and energy much of the 

 success of the work in this district is due. He is assisted 

 by an engineer, Mr. W. Harrison, and a seaman. 



Having thus obtained an idea of the resources which were 

 at the command of this enterprise, let us pass in review as 

 completely as is practicable within the limits of a single 

 article, the results which have been accomplished by its 

 means. These will be discussed under two heads, physical 

 and biological, and we shall commence with the former. 



Physical Investigations. 



When the actual work of the station commenced, its first 

 and most obvious duty was to explore its own domains, and 

 thus Dr. Hugh Robert Mill, who presided over this depart- 

 ment, was led to an investigation of the periodic variations 

 of temperature and other phenomena in the Granton quarry, 

 in which the " Ark " was afloat. As before stated, this has 

 an area of about seven acres, and the tidal entrance on the 

 west side is so situated that no water can enter till about 

 half tide ; it then runs in very rapidly for some three 



