TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 643 



10. Third Report on the Coral Reefs of the hidian Region. 

 See Reports, p. 284. 



11. Interim Report on Researches made in the Laboratory of the Marine 

 Biological Association of the West of Scotland, Millport. 



FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12. 

 The following Papers were read : — 



1. Account of his Recent Expedition to the Indian Ocean, including Work 

 on the Peart Oyster Banks of the Gulf of Manaar. By Professor 

 W. A. HeRdmAiT, F.R.S. 



2. On the Amphijjods collected by Professor Ilerdman. 

 By A. O. Walker, F.L.S. 



The collection is contained in about sixty tubes, of which I have only had time 

 to examine one. From this I sorted out what I take to be fourteen genera belonging' 

 to twelve families. I hare no doubt that the collection will prove to be the most 

 important yet received from tropical seas. Although the species will no doubt be 

 different from those of our shores, yet the general character of those examined did not 

 appear to differ greatly from what one would expect to take in five to ten fathoms 

 on our shores; but this statement may have to be modified on further examination. 

 In point of size they do not appear to differ much from species of the same or 

 allied genera on our own coasts. 



The only species identified is Melita cotesi, CtIIcs, the male of which is remark- 

 able for having the hand of one of the second pair of limbs enormously developed, 

 and the distal margin armed with three teeth. As the colour of the limb is 

 pink, the resemblance it bears to a broken bit. of shell is very close. The leg 

 on the other side is slender and feeble. The use of this limb appears to be 

 protective, as Dr. Ilerdman says the animal buries itself in the sand, covering 

 itself with it. The female, however, has no such protection, the second pair of legs 

 beiug equal and slender. I may add that I have seen a species common on our 

 shores carry a piece of shell when swimming, under which it hides when at rest. 



3. On the Plankton of the Indian Ocean. By Isaac C. Thompson, F.L.S. 



The plankton or general surface material collected by Professor Ilerdman 

 during his recent voyage to Ceylon and while there, was entrusted to me for 

 examination. It was contained in fifty-five bottles of three ounces capacity each ; 

 the preservative material used was in some cases formol and in others alcohol. Ten 

 of the bottles contained material collected from Liverpool to the south end of the 

 Red Sea, fourteen bottles from the Indian Ocean, and thirty-one bottles from the 

 Ceylon district, including the pearl banks and the coral reefs. Passing over the 

 first-mentioned series I proceed to deal with the material contained in the fourteen 

 bottles collected in the Indian Ocean. Professor Ilerdman's method of collecting 

 material while travelling in a rapid mail-steamer has been described in the ' Pro- 

 ceedings ' of the Liverpool Biological Society. On this occasion he was fortunate 

 enough to have the entire use of one of the bath-rooms. Water was drawn from 

 about 12 feet below the surface of the sea into a tank on the ship from which baths, 

 &c., are supplied. A tow-net was fixed to the tap, so that all the supply of water 

 ran through it ; by this means it was practicable to collect the material contained in 

 the water mostly in good condition from the whole length of the route travelled. 

 The material obtained was necessarily restricted to that taken from a depth of about 



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