8 



for the identification of the floating fish eggs found in our 

 seas, whieli will no doubt be found very useful in this 

 English form. 



Mr. Johnstone has devoted some time during the year to 

 an examination of our trawling statistics collected on 

 the steamer and otherwise, with the result that he is able 

 to draw some conclusions of importance which are 

 discussed in his article below. He also gives us a valuable 

 contribution to that important subject, the comparability 

 of hauls taken under closely similar conditions. This 

 matter is fundamental for all arguments based upon 

 observations and statistics which are only samples, and 

 Mr. Johnstone's results show that we must be even more 

 careful than had been supposed in the collection and 

 comparison of such statistics, and in drawing any 

 conclusions from them. 



On my recommendation, an application to the Scientific 

 Sub-Committee from the authorities of the Liverpool Free 

 Public Museum to Be allowed on occasions to use a small 

 meshed (illegal) net in and about the mouth of the Mersey 

 for the purpose of obtaining specimens for the Aquarium, 

 was granted. The report from the Museum upon the 

 result, which is required! by the Committee on each such 

 occasion, shows that along with the common animals 

 usually caught in the locality, there were two rarer species, 

 which have been obtained during the summer, viz., 

 the Spotted Dragonet, Callionymus mnndntus, and a 

 Cirripede parasite of the hermit crab, named Peltogaster 

 'pagiiri. Both had been first found in our district some 

 years ago by the Liverpool Marine Biology Committee. 

 The Peltogaster had been recognised and labelled in the 

 Zoology Museum of University College, but the Calliony- 

 mus had escaped detection until noticed first at the 

 College Museum and then at the Public Museum by the 



