292 Microscopical and Natural History Exhibition. [Sess. 



slides, prepared by members, were shown on the screen and 

 under microscopes. A noteworthy feature of the evening was 

 a collection of natural history specimens from the Biological 

 Station at Millport, kindly brought by Captain Turbayne, 

 Curator of the Station there. The collection included a 

 number of specimens from the Zoological Station at Naples, 

 showing the state of perfection at which Dr Dohrn and his 

 assistants have arrived in the way of fixing and preserving- 

 marine animals, so as to show as nearly as possible their 

 appearance in the living state. The Millport specimens 

 included representatives of the Coelenterata, the Echinoder- 

 mata, the Crustacea, the Mollusca, and fishes. There was also 

 shown a beautiful set of preparations, in spirit, illustrating the 

 development of the crayfish, the frog, and salmon-trout, from 

 the egg upwards. The President, Dr Davies, gave a very 

 interesting account, illustrated by lantern slides, of the history 

 of the Millport Biological Station. The following is a risivm.6 

 of the paper read on the occasion : — 



The history of the Millport Marine Biological Station begins in the year 

 1882, when a sum of about £1400 from the surplus funds of the Edinburgh 

 Fisheries Exhibition, held in that year, was handed over to the Scottish 

 Meteorological Society for the purpose of establishing a Marine Zoological 

 Station. Subsequently an application was made to Government for 

 additional funds, but without success. However, with the assistance of 

 Dr John Murray of the Challenger Expedition, a start was made. In the 

 autumn of 1883 Dr Murray purchased the little vessel now known as the 

 Ark, and this, having been fitted up as a biological laboratory, was moored 

 in the old quarry at Granton, which had been leased to Dr Murray at a 

 nominal rent. In the meantime a small steam yacht, the Medusa, had 

 been furnished with all the most modern appliances for carrying on 

 scientific research. This, with the Ark and some rowing boats, formed 

 the establishment of the Scottish Marine Biological Station, which was 

 opened at Granton on April 14, 1884 — the opening ceremony being, in the 

 unavoidable absence of Professor Haeckel of Jena, performed by Dr 

 Murray, before a large gathering of scientists and others. 



The work of the station was at once commenced under the supervision 

 of an efficient staff. After the lapse of a year a new laboratory was 

 established on shore, close to the old quarry, and the Ark was removed to 

 Millport on the Clyde, where it still remains, though shortly to be super- 

 seded by the more permanent station now being erected on the shore. 

 Thus greater facilities were afforded for obtaining a knowledge of the 

 fauna and flora of the east and west coasts, and of the relations existing 

 between them. 



The Clyde area has long been a favourite hunting-ground with natural- 



