ZOOLOGY 



MARINE ZOOLOGY 



IT is now a number of years since I studied the marine animals in 

 any part of Kent, and then only in a few places suitable for living 

 on board my yacht Glimpse. There are long stretches of coast 

 quite unfit for this, which I have never examined ; and probably 

 the number of animals which I have been able to collect falls far short 

 of what could be found if the whole coast were adequately examined. I 

 have studied more or less completely seven different localities, viz., the 

 Thames near Greenhitheand Erith ; the Medway at and above Chatham ; 

 the Swale at and above Queenborough ; Ramsgate ; the Stour above 

 and below Sandwich ; Dover and the middle of the Straits of Dover. 

 Some of these can scarcely be called marine localities, but are of interest 

 in showing the changes which occur in passing down the lower end of 

 rivers to the sea. My knowledge of the coast being thus confined to 

 only a few districts, it would have been impossible for me to deal with 

 my subject in anything like a satisfactory manner, if it had not been for 

 the kind assistance of Mr. Sibert Saunders of Whitstable, Mr. Edward 

 Horsnaillof Folkestone, and Mrs. Hillier, widow of the late Dr. Hillier 

 of Ramsgate. Fortunately these had studied quite different parts of the 

 coast, and had collected animals belonging to groups which I had 

 neglected, whereas I had studied those to which they had paid little or 

 no attention. The result is that I am able to give a better account of 

 the subject than at one time I thought possible. On the whole it seems 

 to me best to describe my observations in different localities, and to give 

 entire the list of animals found by my friends elsewhere, modifying 

 some of the names so as to correspond with those in my article on the 

 marine biology of Essex.^ This plan will to some extent show local 

 variations. 



Salinity of the Water. 

 Since the distribution of the various animals depends so much on 

 the salinity of the water, it will be well to consider this first. I have 

 carefully studied it over a wide area in the district of the Thames 

 estuary, along the coasts of Suffolk, Essex and Kent during the months 

 of May to September inclusive, and found that no very considerable 

 difference materially influences the distribution of the animals, unless it 

 be that other conditions influence both. My observations along the 



« r.C.H. Essex, i. 69. 

 91 



