132 LOCH CRERAN. 



nection between the two ? There are two herring invasions 

 into our western lochs, one in the autumn and another 

 in the spring, and on both occasions they come prepared 

 to breed ; but also many come with no such parental 

 object in view. Do they time their visits to suit the 

 spawning periods of these small Crustacea and other such ? 

 At the same time it must be noted that we never 

 observed such a quantity of young of this creature at this 

 season of the year on any former occasion, and it may be 

 quite exceptional. For we have observed many classes 

 of Crustacea spawning this winter ; not only the ordinary 

 green crabs, C. mtenas, but among the hermits scarcely a 

 Bernhardus turns up without a plentiful crop of 

 " berries." 



A fresh bag on the dredge, we push out into the loch 

 and try for scallops on the best scallop ground we know 

 of. For have we not a lady on board who has the sense 

 to appreciate these delicate bivalves, and who looks to 

 be rewarded for wet feet and a seat in the cold wind by a 

 delicious repast ! The wind blows us sharply off the 

 shore and across the swiftly running currents, so the 

 dredge is hard to keep in proper trim, and do we not 

 wickedly take advantage of the said wind to allow our 

 boat to drift into deeper water than that in which the 

 Pecten opercularis is mostly found ! The tow-rope is out 

 to the last inch, and we are punished by vainly dragging 

 the dredge through soft mud and bringing it aboard 

 through all the extra fathoms without the smallest result. 

 But the wind again favours the naturalist more than the 

 " gourmet " or the pot-hunter, and we once and again 

 drag up evidences that the iron has been deeper than the 

 primary object of the expedition warranted. 



At last the dredge comes up heavily weighted, and 



