A DAY WITH THE DREDGE AT MACHRIE BAY. 169 
‘‘A Day with the Dredge at Machrie Bay, Arran.” 
By Ray. G. A. Frank Kwyieut, M.A. 
[Read 30th October, 1894.] 
Peruaps the greatest charm of field-work in any department of 
Natural History is the charm of the unknown. The rambler 
never can tell what he may light on in the form of some rare or 
curious organism. To the marine dredger this conviction of never 
knowing what may next turn up constitutes the mainstay of his 
hope. He lets down his insignificant implement into the depths, 
and faith is always vigorous that his work will, in some way or 
other, be rewarded. 
It was from a desire to explore the bottom in a new locality, 
and to obtain some idea of the Mollusca of the district, that 
I’ conveyed my dredge, sieves, ropes, bottles, &c., to Machrie 
Bay in August last. The coastline on the west of Arran is 
slightly curved inwards at the part oppositeto Brodick, and Machrie 
Bay is the area lying between Dugary Lodge on the north and 
King’s Cove on the south. From the physical configuration of the 
' land one would expect a very gradual shelving of the bank into 
the Kilbrannan Sound, and on a reference to the chart this 
presupposition is confirmed. The plain of Tormore is continued 
westwards into the sea for a mile or so, and only then dips down 
somewhat suddenly to about 30 fathoms. Between this and the 
Cantyre coast the greatest depth is only 47 fathoms, although 
opposite Dugary it reaches 60, and a little farther north 73 
fathoms. 
Owing to the open character of the channel towards the south, 
the incoming Atlantic swell round the Mull renders dredging in 
this quarter possible only when weather is favourable. On acalm 
day —August 21st—I found myself in a small boat off Tormore, 
accompanied by my uncle, Mr. A. Somerville, F.L.S. An “ancient 
mariner” of the neighbourhood was taken to assist in rowing, but 
his muscular exertions seemed hardly on a par with the force of 
his criticisms on our scientific ‘‘folly.” He probably felt justified 
in his own opinion, for it rained during almost the entire three 
hours we were out, with that peculiar pertinacity for which our 
climate‘is renowned, Pulling straight out about three quarters of 
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