36 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



summer vacation I was engaged in taking observations 

 further North, off the West Coast of Scotland] ; while 

 about 150 gatherings were obtained from the bay during 

 the remainder of the year. 



The year has been a somewhat unusual one in 

 weather, and that may have had some effect upon the 

 plankton. The material has not yet all been examined, 

 and it is still too early to make any very definite 

 statement, but the following provisional remarks, giving 

 the impressions formed at the time of collecting, may 

 be of some interest : — 



In April, at Port Erin, Biddulpliia and 

 Coscinodiscus were well represented, and also Chaetoceras 

 decipiens and C. teres. 



At Piel, in the Barrow Channel, Mr. Scott tells 

 me, between April 15th and 19th, the plankton was very 

 rich in Chaetoceras and Rhizosolenia, and a few 

 Tlialassiosira iiordenskioldi were noticed early in March, 

 but this and some other typical spring Diatoms, such as 

 Lauderia did not occur in any quantity at Port Erin 

 this Easter. Noctihica was still living in the sea at Port 

 Erin up to the end of January, an unusual circumstance 

 due, perhaps, to the mild winter. 



May l^th. — The vernal Diatoms now a])peared in 

 quantities at Port Erin (calm weather with a nunked rise 

 in temperature). 



MdjI \i')fh. — Tow-net galheriiigs large, and consisted 

 almost entirely of Diatoms (weather continues calm and 

 the increase in temperature is maintained). 



Maij Idt/t. — Diatoms occurred in very laige 

 ((u;iiitities, especially in iln' fine net. 



Mtii/ 22nd. — Catches rather smaller, but Diatoms 

 still in abundance, even in the vertical net (weather still 

 line and warm). 



