ON THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION AT PLYMOUTH. 445 
for one year on payment of 30I., instead of the normal subscription of 
401. 
The Committee felt, however, that it would be advisable to defer 
making any final arrangement with the Council of the Marine Biological 
Association until applications to occupy the table had actually been 
received. It was recognised that applications for nomination to the use 
of the table would probably be received principally during the summer 
months, when persens who could be expected to make a good use of the 
nomination would be most likely to be able to spare time to work at 
Plymouth, and the results have justified this anticipation. 
Three applications were actually received, and in each case the appli- 
cant desired to work at Plymouth during July and August. The Com- 
mittee decided in consequence to give up the original intention of taking 
one table for the whole year, and to make use of the grant entrusted to 
them in hiring tables for those months in the year for which applications 
from suitable persons were actually sent in, thereby allowing them to 
nominate two or more persons to work simultaneously at Plymouth. 
This arrangement was finally made, with the consent of the Council of 
the Marine Biological Association, it being understood that the British 
Association had the right to the use of a table for one month in the year 
free of charge. By this arrangement, the grant of 30]. was sufficient to 
enable the Committee to acquire the use of a table for seven months, for 
one of which no payment was to be made, while the remaining period was 
to be paid for at the rate of 5/. per month. 
The nominations which have actually been made are as follows :— 
Mr. M. F. Woodward, Demonstrator in Zoology at the Science and 
Art Department, South Kensington, for two months (end of July to end 
of September). 
Mr. W. G-. Ridewood, B.Sc., for two.months (July-August). 
Mr, E. A. Minchin, B.A., of Keble College, Oxford, for three months 
(July-September). 
The researches undertaken by these gentiemen are at present in pro- 
gress, and it is obviously as yet impossible to give any final report on the 
results arrived at. The following preliminary statements have, however, 
been received. It must be pointed out that the report was written, 
in each case, shortly after the commencement of the occupation of the 
table. 
I. Report on the Occupation of the Table. By Mr. M. F. Woopwarp. 
The line of research to which I intend devoting my attention is that 
of Molluscan anatomy, especially that of the Lamellibranchiata. Several 
attempts have been made lately to re-classify the Lamellibranchs, as it is 
very doubtful if the older classification by muscular impressions can be 
adhered to in the light of recent investigations. The most recent classi- 
fications are by means of the gills; one by Fischer based on the number 
of gill lamellz, and another by Pelseneer taking the form of the gill as a 
basis. Unfortunately, these two classifications differ from one another in 
important respects. 
T hope, by making use of the facilities offered by my nomination, to 
work out the general anatomy of a number of forms; and, by carefully 
comparing these with one another, to ascertain if possible which, if either, 
of these classifications appears the most natural. I haye, moreover, no 
