41 



home consumption, but had to be returned afterwards to their 

 native element, as it was found that the crabbing season 

 having closed on August 31st it was illegal to take them 

 ashore. The Portunus puber (fiddler crab), one of the few 

 that can swim, and the spider and masked crabs were also 

 met with. The hermit or soldier crabs (Pagurus bernhard- 

 ensis) were a disappointment, they belied the second name. 

 There were plenty of them and of all sizes but they could not 

 be induced to entertain us with exhibitions of their pugnacity, 

 and show what adepts they are in mutilating each other. 

 Evidently on September 12, 1903, those on Saltscar were 

 peacefully inclined. Of the echidna there were observed the 

 uraster rubens, (common five-fingered starfish), the ophiocoma 

 neglecta and rosula (brittle stars), and solaster papposa (sun 

 star), two of the last-named being very fine specimens. No sea 

 urchins were seen, they having apparently returned to the deep 

 sea. Of shells noted during the day there were : — Murex 

 trunculus, purpura lapella (dog whelk), huccinum undatum 

 (common whelk), fittorina vulgaris (periwimde), irivia pediculis 

 (nun cowry) tfrochus zizyphinus, lfiactra solida, aolen siliqua, 

 donax antinus, and iiytilus edulis (mussel). Among the sea- 

 weeds examined were the beautiful delesseria sanguinea, iridia 

 edulis (dulse), ijilva latissima (green sea lettuce), porphyra vulgata 

 (brown sea lettuce), fucus serratus and nodosus. On Saltscar, 

 wedged in some of the holes, the members came across a number 

 of small dressed blocks of granite, of course water worn. It 

 was thought that these had been lodged there for nearly a hundred 

 years, for they probably were part of the cargo of the Caledonia, of 

 Aberdeen, which was wrecked on tbese rocks on March 25, 

 lfc08, when 16 out of a crew of 23 were drowned. The vessel 

 was laden with granite. It would be well if excursions could be 

 organised more frequently for the study of marine natural history, 

 not only to Redcar but also along the foot of the cliffs to the 

 south east of Saltburn. 



[The Club would be glad to receive papers on the Marine 

 Fauna and Flora of the Cleveland Coast for the Proceedings. 



Our thanks are due to Mr. Simpson for kindly arranging this 

 meeting, which I am quite sure was appreciated by all who 

 attended it. — T.A.L.]. 



