1903- 1 904-] Millport Marine Biological Station. 67 



it. In 1882 the Scottish Meteorological Society, as the 

 outcome of its investigations for a few years previous to that 

 time into the physical conditions affecting our Scottish fisheries, 

 organised a Fisheries Exhibition in Edinburgh, the surplus 

 funds of which, amounting to some £1600, were devoted 

 to further investigations on former lines. The additional 

 project of establishing a biological station, though it was 

 now earnestly desired by several scientific workers, would 

 not have been accomplished, through lack of funds, had Mr 

 (now Sir John) Murray, of the "Challenger" Expedition, 

 not given effectual help. The station on the Firth of Forth 

 was founded and equipped by him, all that was asked from 

 the Meteorological Society being an annual grant of £300 

 for three years, after which time it was hoped that, by 

 Government aid and private subscriptions, the station might 

 become self-supporting. No grant from Government, how- 

 ever, was at any time received, yet from 1882 to 1885 

 some good work was done here. A small screw steam-yacht, 

 named the "Medusa," was specially built; and an old lighter 

 was bought, fitted up as a laboratory, and moored to the 

 side of the quarry near Granton. This boat, known as the 

 "Ark," was long a familiar object to many. Buildings were also 

 rented on the shore at Granton, for the purposes of aquaria, 

 laboratory, and museum. But it was soon found that investi- 

 gations such as were being tlien carried on were quite in- 

 complete unless extended to the West Coast. The " Medusa " 

 had already paid short visits to the Clyde, and in June 

 1885 both the " Medusa " and the " Ark " were taken through 

 the Forth and Clyde Canal to Millport Bay. At Millport 

 Mr (afterwards Dr) David Eobertson, " the Cumbrae mtur- 

 ahst," had been doing splendid work, privately, for a number 

 of years, and his delight at the prospect of a marine station 

 bemg founded there was great. His own dredging work had 

 been carried on hitherto chiefly by means of row-boats and 

 the benefits of the steam-yacht "Medusa" for this purpose 

 were soon evident. In a letter Dr Eobertson says- "The 

 steamer is fitted up entirely for dredging and securina the 

 spoils. Dredging with such appliances is such an immense 

 advantage over the oars, that one would be inclined to think 



