ALONG THE COAST AND ELSEWHERE 181 



best part of the British fleet at anchor in Brodick Bay, speared 

 for flat fish in the Clyde, rambled among the profusion of wild 

 flowers (and especially marsh plants near the shore), and 

 gathered Mushrooms on the steep slopes of Dunfion, to the con- 

 sternation of the natives who could not understand the diet 

 of an Englishman which included Paddock Stools ! Down by 

 the shore I have watched the Tern (Fig. 76) scanning the water 

 for food, and focussed my glasses upon the Gannets as they 

 soared aloft, and then, with breakneck speed, the birds dashed 

 headlong to the sea with a mighty splash, as if a torpedo had 

 suddenly exploded, and sent up showers of spray. 



I have sailed right round Arran so as to obtain a better idea of 

 its coast-line, bathed in the Clyde and Kilbrennan Sound, and 

 been to Campbeltown, not to drink whisky but to eat Scotch 

 cakes, and to see the Atlantic breakers dashing upon the shore 

 at Machrihanish. From that point I had my only view, so far, 

 of the Emerald Isle, where I espied Fair Head off the Mull of 

 Kintyre. 



Many of the watering places on the Clyde, such as Rothesay, 

 Dunoon, Millport, and the rest, have all claimed me as a visitor, 

 and will, I hope, yet again. 



A few notes concerning a visit I paid to the Great Cumbrae 

 may here be given. I had frequently passed close to the Cumbraes 

 (for there is a Little Cumbrae close at hand, and both of them 

 have broken away from the larger island upon which Rothesay 

 is situated), but never landed there before. 



What took me to the Great Cambrae was an invitation I 

 received, when staying in Scotland, to visit the Marine Biological 

 Station, at Millport. The station belongs to, and is controlled 

 by, the Marine Biological Association of the West of Scotland, 

 the President, on the occasion of my visit, being Sir Archibald 

 M'Innes Shaw, LL.D., of Glasgow. 



From Fairlie we took a small coasting steamer to the Great 

 Cumbrae, landing at the first port of call, Keppel Pier, Millport. 

 Millport itself is round the corner, in a wide sweeping bay, and 

 quite a popular resort for Scotch folk during the holiday season. 



We spent all the morning going over the Biological Station, 

 which is admirably conducted by the superintendent, Mr Richard 

 Elmhirst, F.L.S., preparatory to the arrival of the large and 

 distinguished party of members and friends, who came down 

 by special steamer from Glasgow about midday. The Millport 

 Biological Station was founded by Dr David Robertson, known 



