2io The Naturalist of Cumbrae. 



covered with fragments of coral, Lophohelia prolifera 

 (Pallas). It was so plentiful that the garden walks 

 were made of it. Pieces the size of half a brick were 

 not uncommon, and some that were much larger could 

 be obtained, for they brought away with them a 

 specimen sixteen inches long, eight inches deep, and 

 seven inches broad. It is a deep sea coral, which is 

 washed up by the waves. 



In his commonplace book Robertson gives the 

 following note on Drobak : " The fiord at this place 

 is held in high favour by many famed naturalists as 

 unusually rich dredging ground. From the many 

 bays and islets, channels and banks, and different 

 bottoms, it has all the appearance of being all that is 

 said in its favour. 



" My experience was very small one day's dredg- 

 ing of about five or six hours in a small row-boat of 

 fourteen or fifteen feet keel, with a pilot and an old 

 fisherman. The one might know very well the best 

 channel for the biggest ship, and the other the best 

 bank for haddock, etc., but of anything more or any- 

 thing connected with the dredge or dredging they 

 knew nothing. This was their first adventure. They 

 were both good oarsmen, and both willing, and with 

 their channel knowledge and bank knowledge, and 

 what I could infer from this stock of information, we 

 were not so helpless after all. Besides this, fortune 

 smiled upon us with a beautiful day." 



They had a letter of introduction to Mr. Parr, 

 English consul at Drobak, a relation of " Old Parr," 

 renowned for his longevity. 



Mr. and Mrs. Parr, after showing them the sub- 



