72 Millport Marine Biological Station. [Sess. 



would be able more directly to make use of the scientific 

 facilities of the Station, and also to further its interests." 



The rapid survey given above of the work at Millport 

 Biological Station would be quite incomplete were some space 

 not now allotted to the dredging operations. It was soon felt, 

 after the buildings were finished, that a steamer for collecting 

 purposes was indispensable if the work of the Station was to 

 be carried on satisfactorily. This requirement was ultimately 

 fully met by the very handsome donation of £2700 from the 

 gentleman already repeatedly mentioned as a generous giver, — 

 this sum being designed for the building and equipment of the 

 vessel, and its maintenance for five years. The steam-yacht 

 " Mermaid " was then specially built, and furnished with all the 

 necessary modern appliances for the work. Since April 1901 

 it has been in use for nearly three-fourths of each year, and 

 has well fulfilled all that was expected of it. A supply of 

 material for the practical work of the Station has thus been 

 amply secured ; and workers have been afforded opportunities 

 of accompanying the vessel, and taking part in the dredging 

 operations. This, to most, has been a delightful and in- 

 structive feature of the life and work of the Station. True, 

 the weather is not always what one would wish, for storms 

 have a way of rising suddenly on the West Coast, and often 

 when least expected. As the Eev. Mr Stebbing humorously 

 remarks in his book on the Cumbrae Naturalist, " Dredging 

 in a rough sea is not to be recommended : it is apt to en- 

 gender feelings of animosity against marine zoology in the 

 breast of the student, — in short, to make him sick of it." 

 But there are many calm days in summer when sailing 

 amongst the lovely lochs and bays of the Firth of Clyde is 

 a most enjoyable experience. Then there is the excitement 

 consequent on each haul of the net, and the satisfaction 

 when a more than usually rich harvest has been gathered. 

 Such are the compensations for any accidents of rough-and- 

 tumble which may now and then be encountered, and which 

 are usually soon forgotten. 



A most interesting outcome of the work done by the 

 " Mermaid " is the knowledge thus gained of the various 

 forms of life present in the Clyde area, as compared, say, 

 with the Forth. This point has been well put by Dr M. 



