BELFAST DREDGING COMMITTEE. 229 
4 
Species. Observations. 
4 eee Se | SO NR a ek EE ee eee 
GastrERopropa OpiIsTHo- 
BRANCHIATA. 
Cylichna cylindracea...... dead |Rare, in shell sand. 
—— truncata ...eereee. dead |With the last. 
; —— Obtusa ...ceesecseeeee dead |With the last. 
— umbilicata............ dead |With the last. 
! Tornatella fasciata......... dead |Rare, off Bangor, and in shell sand. 
Akera bullata,.....,....000. living |Abundant on the Zostera banks. Sometimes thrown 
up on the Kinnegar, Holywood, in great numbers. I 
have sometimes seen it swimming in the channel 
leading to the Quays, giving out a purple liquid when 
touched. 
Bulla Cranchii ............| living |Veryrare. A single specimen from Groomsport many 
years ago; none since. 
Scaphander lignarius......| living |Not uncommon of large size off Groomsport in 6 or 8 
fathoms, and in other places. 
— ” seseeseseees} Gead {Occasionally found at various depths. 
Philine aperta .......0.00+ living |Plentiful, occasionally in a few fathoms. 
Aplysia hybrida.......... ..| living |Rather scarce, in 8 or 10 fathoms, off Bangor and 
Groomsport, and in Castle Chichester Bay. 
Pleurobranchus membra-| living |Scarce, off Groomsport in 6 or 8 fathoms and in other 
naceus. places. 
In the course of their various proceedings in dredging, the Committee 
were aided by several gentlemen amateurs, who lent their yachts for the 
purpose and otherwise assisted ; and in the year 1856 they were joined in 
_ their labours by Edward Waller, Esq., whose cooperation has proved of 
_ great service in determining species. 
i, In 1850 Mr. Getty and Mr. Hyndman had first become aware of a deposit 
_ of fine shell sand in about 27 fathoms at the entrance of the Bay, which 
produced several rare species of shells, Propilidium ancyloide, Puncturella 
Noachina, Scissurella crispata, Adeorbis subcarinata, Rissoa Beanii, Tere- 
_ bratula caput serpentis, and Crania anomala, all dead; and in 1852 further 
_ research led to the discovery of a great submarine bank known to the fisher- 
-menas “the Turbot Bank,” lying a short distance out from the cliffs called 
the Gobbins, on the coast of Antrim, and extending from the Isle of Muck 
"across the entrance of Belfast Bay towards the Copeland Islands. Fishing 
_by means of long lines had formerly been successfully carried on upon this 
_ bank within the recollection of some of the fishermen, but has been given up 
3 ba several years, as the fish, from whatever cause, do not now frequent the 
_ bank. 
_ This locality having been further explored in 1856 during a dredging 
4 _ excursion, a quantity of sand was brought up so rich in shells that, it was 
thought desirable to have a list made out. With this view the sand was 
examined by Mr. Waller, Dr. Dickie, and Mr. Hyndman. Some of the species 
_ more difficult to determine have been named for Mr. Waller by the kindness 
f Joshua Alder, Esq.; such species are marked A, including Mangelia 
olbollit, an interesting addition to the British fauna. 
The Turbot Bank lies in about 25 to 30 fathoms; the ridge is composed 
gravel and broken shells, more or less fine, the finer being in the top, 
ile the edges towards the deeper water are made up of coarse rolled 
ebbles derived from the rocks of the adjoining coast, and found by Messrs. 
TcAdam and Bryce to consist of Trap, Marl, Greywacke, Porphyry, Quartz, 
lint, Sandstone, and Coal,—the last no doubt from the passing vessels. 
