172 TRANSACTIONO, NATURAL III8TORT SOCIETT OF GLASGOW. 



rambles were never lacking in interest, and I now 

 look back on these hours, " snatched from sleep " that 

 they might be given to the study of natural history, 

 as the pleasantest and happiest I spent in Bute. 



It was my intention to have explored the whole 

 island, but the shortness of my stay prevented this 

 being done. All that I was able in some measure 

 to overtake was the examination of the central and 

 perhaps the more interesting portion of it, which 

 may be roughly defined as bounded by Kames Bay 

 and Ettrick Bay on the north, and Kerrykroy and 

 St. Ninian's Bay on the south. It will be observed 

 that within this area are included the principal 

 lochs of the island, and judging from its physical 

 conditions in other respects, it might reasonably be 

 expected to yield as great a variety of forms of 

 molluscan life as either of the parts to the north 

 or the south of it. 



In referring to the distribution of the Mollusca 

 within this area, it may be well first of all to note 

 some of the species observed in the vicinity of the 



Royal Aquarium. 



As already remarked, the lateness of the season 

 when I came to Rothesay caused me at first to 

 confine my researches to the neighbourhood of the 

 Aquarium, but the advent of longer daylight did 

 not prevent me from still taking an occasional look 

 around its vicinity. Among the species observed 

 here were Limax {Ainalia) gagates, L. (Amalia) 

 marginatus, Helix aspersa var. depressa, H. arbus- 

 torum type and var. marmorata, besides a number 

 of more common forms. 



During the spring and early summer months, on 

 the glass sides of the fresh-water tank in which a 

 number of large pike were kept there might fre- 

 quently be seen considerable numbers of Planorhis 

 nautileus creeping about, as well as small individuals 

 of Limncea ; while in another tank, in which were a 

 number of perch and roach, not a mollusc was to 



