TEREDO NAVALIS AND OTHER SEA-WORMS. 20I 



worm. The horizontal timbers and the joints in this case 

 appeared to have been more attacked by the Teredo than the 

 other timbers of the pier. On the other hand, we have green- 

 heart piles at Croggan Pier, Loch Spelve, at Craignish in the 

 same neighbourhood, and at Mingary, and up to date we find 

 that they have not been touched. At Badentarbert Pier in Loch 

 Broom, it is found that the timbers (greenheart) between low 

 and high water-marks are badly riddled by the worm, and I 

 am afraid this will mean that the whole pier will have to be 

 incased in concrete. This case is now under consideration. 



As you are probably aware, greenheart is supposed to contain 

 some acid or poison which is not at all liked by the Teredo, 

 and my opinion is that in the instances cited above the green- 

 heart may have been lying in the timber yards at Greenock 

 for some period, and thereby have lost some of its natural 

 protective properties. The timbers used at Craignish and 

 Croggan were part of a salved cargo coming direct from British 

 Guiana ; they were splendid sticks and quite fresh, which may 

 account for the fact that they have not as yet been touched 

 by the worm. 



In connection with the work of this worm on other woods, 

 I saw rather an interesting case two summers ago at Dunvegan 

 Pier, Skye. This pier was made by local labour, and the 

 fenders are of Scots pine taken from the woods of Dunvegan. 

 At the period referred to, the late factor was replacing some 

 of the fenders, and he showed me some he had just taken out 

 of the water. The worm had got into the exposed end of 

 the stick, but in those places where the bark had remained on 

 we stripped some of this and found the wood almost as fresh 

 as the day it was put in, and not touched at all by the worm. 

 This would appear to show that the bark of the pine is not 

 relished by these little busybodies. The late factor naively 

 remarked that his pier would have stood all right if he could 

 only have got the bark to grow at the end of his stick. 



These are the only cases which have come under my own 

 notice, and I trust they may be of interest to you. 



Mr Hall Blyth, C.E., has favoured me with the following 

 note on the timber used in Methil Docks : — 



Gates of No. i Dock. — Built in 1886. Two sets of gates 

 (4 leaves), width of entrance, 50 feet ; depth of water to sill of 



VOL. XXIII. PART II. o 



