8 Messrs. G. S. Brady and D. Robertson on the 
muddy flat along the river, nearly a quarter of a mile broad, 
and when the tide is out and the river swollen to any extent, 
this is covered entirely with fresh water. Our gatherings at 
this place were taken from low-water to near high-water mark. 
Other gatherings were taken from Port Glasgow up along the 
river for fully a mile, in four to eight feet water beyond low 
tide. In some places the bottom is soft black mud, in others 
muddy gravelly sand, much covered by mussels (Mytilus 
edulis). “The estuary here is a few miles broad, and the tide 
rises from eight to ten feet, the fresh water being much less 
felt than at Langbank, w hich is about four miles further up, 
where the water narrows greatly as it reaches Dumbarton 
Castle. It is somewhat remarkable, considering the extent 
of the gatherings, the diversity of bottom, and very promising 
appearance in every way of the locality, together with the 
profusion of Corophium, Isopoda, and other forms of animal 
life, that the Ostracoda and Foraminifera met with were ex- 
ceptionally few, both in number of species and individuals, 
and these eed of brackish or freshwater type. We are 
That some artificial cause is at work seems almost certain, as 
we have not found so poor a Rund ie fauna in any river 
unconnected with manufacturing operations 
B. Montrose Basin, Forfarshire, is an area of Salisiderable 
extent, commun icating with the sea by a narrow channel. 
The whole area, with the exception of the tortuous channels 
of the river South Esk, is left dry at low water, exposing a 
muddy flat; at high water it is covered to a depth of six feet 
by the sea. 
c. Budle Bay, Northumberland.—The description of Mont- 
rose Basin applies also pretty accurately to this locality, except 
that Budle Bay is exposed across the whole of its wide mouth 
to the action of the sea. It is thus, owing to want of 
shelter, a less favourable por for the habitation of organisms 
requiring an undisturbed muddy bottom "ras quiet water. Our 
gathering was taken B ‘idan the only sheltered spot in 
i just beyond low- 
al 
small streams, t e Warn burn and the Buckton burn, empty 
themselves into the bay; ; but their channels on the tidal flat 
were not examined, owing to difficulty of access. 
