1 90 LOCH C RE RAN. 



the land were to rise or the sea recede a hundred fathoms, 

 all the German Ocean, the English Channel, the sea far 

 to the West of Ireland and the outer Hebrides, as well 

 as around the Orkney and Shetland Islands, would 

 become dry land ; but even then there would be a few 

 lakes left, and some of the very few deeper spots within the 

 sea-line mentioned are in our neighbouring Linnhe Loch. 

 What will the water swirl into such pits, or what purely 

 pelagic forms will take up their permanent residence in 

 these deeper quarters ? we ask ourselves as the dredge is 

 already over a hundred fathoms from the deck. We 

 have found from experience in our own loch that the 

 deepest pit is mostly a receptacle for the dead shells of 

 the ordinary mollusca of the loch, or at least it has rarely 

 yielded us anything else but we are hopeful of some- 

 thing more interesting here. The little capstan creaks 

 as the line strains around it bringing up an evident burden, 

 for the dredge has been biting well, and its " pulse " has 

 been favourable, as our hearty friend remarks, and the 

 wildest enthusiasm animates the hunters as its contents 

 are tumbled out for investigation. Keep it quite clear 

 of the stuff from paltry sixty fathoms, although we did 

 dive with delighted alacrity at the splendid keyhole 

 limpets and Hungarian's caps that came up from that 

 depth. 



Well ! well ! and what have we got ? Did you ever 

 see such clumps of Sertularia, those beautiful plant-like 

 zoophytes, as we have here; and the masses of Tere- 

 bratula of the most splendid proportions will force ur to 

 talk of these interesting shells in future with regal in- 

 difference. Here are two beauties, almost white, with 

 their serpent heads (Caput-serpentis), seated on the living 

 shells of Modiola or horse-mussels. Set them in water 



