director's report. 293 



Mr. Allen worked at the development of PalsBmonetes, the fresh- 

 water shrimp. 



Mr. Wilson experimented upon the senses of fish^ very largely 

 going- over the ground covered by Bateson. 



Mr. Gamble made a systematic collection and examination of the 

 Turbellaria of the district. 



In addition to these gentlemen there were — 



B. T. Giinther, Esq., from the Anatomical Department, Oxford, 

 working at pigmentation in Cephalopods ; and 



E. J. Bles, Esq., of Owens College, Manchester, working at a 

 systematic investigation of the '' Plankton " of the western portion 

 of the English Channel. 



Two alterations have taken place in the Staff of the Laboratory. 

 Mr. Dickson, formerly my assistant, who also acted as Physicist, has 

 resigned; and 3Ir. Garstang, previously connected with the Labora- 

 tory, has commenced his work: — his appointment having been men- 

 tioned in my last Report. I have given into his charge the speci- 

 men trade and control of the movements of the steam launch. The 

 arrangement, I find, works well. It is necessary, if the prompt 

 output of well-preserved specimens is to be kept up, that some one 

 person should devote special attention to this branch ; and it is 

 hoped, as stated in a previous Report, that the specimen preserva- 

 tion may become more and more perfect under this new regime. 



With Mr. Dickson's departure the meteorological work has been 

 suspended. 



With regard to the Laboratory buildings, little need be said. 

 Slight alterations become necessary from time to time, either for 

 the purpose of improving the general efficiency, or in order that 

 some special investigation may be accomplished with greater ease ; 

 the water or gas supply may be rearranged, extra storage room 

 required, or some special apparatus constructed : for instance, five 

 young Mississippi alligators were purchased from a uaturalist-sailor 

 home from Florida, and a special hot-water circulation had to be 

 fitted for their benefit. It was thought possible to run the gas 

 engines used in pumping and circulating the sea water with a less 

 consumption of gas, and experiments were tried as to the balancing 

 of speed and power. The result is that now much less gas is con- 

 sumed, although the circulation is quite efficient. 



From the varied nature of the work carried on, such arrangements 

 are expected, but concerning large and important alterations I have 

 nothing to report. A constant watch is kept on all parts of the 

 building, and the establishment maintained in good order, rather 

 than allowed to decline till extensive repairs become necessary. With 

 a comparatively new building this is a matter of no great difficulty ; 



