TABLE AT THE ZOOLOGICAL STATION AT NAPLES. 82d 



Occupaiion uf a Table at the Zoological Statiun at Naples.- —lieport of 

 the Cominittee, consisting of Professor S. J. HiCKSON {Chairman), 

 Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing (Secretarif), Professor E. Ray Lankestek, 

 Professor W. F. R. Weldon, Mr. A. Sedgwick, Professor W. C. 

 McIntosh, and Mr. G. P. Bidder. 



The Committee report that the Association's table at the Zoological 

 Station at Naples was occupied by Mr. G. P. Farran during September 

 190.5, by Mr. E. S. Goodrich, F.R.S., from the middle of December 1905 

 to the middle of January 190(3, by Professor J. Arthur Thomson during 

 a part of January 1006, by Di*. J. H. Ashworth during March and April 

 1906, and by Mr. T. J. Anderson during a part of May 1906. 



The work of Mr. Anderson was considerably affected by the serious 

 eruption of Vesuvius, the Hydroids of the Bay of Naples being destroyed 

 by the showers of fine ash, and he has sent us no further report than that 

 he was unable to complete his research. 



The reports of the other naturalists are appended. 



The Committee understand that the damage done to the fauna of the 

 Bay is likely to be of a temporary nature only. They note with sorrow 

 the early and unexpected death of their colleague Professor Weldon, 

 and, with the consequent omission of his name, they desire to be reap- 

 pointed and ask for the requisite grant of 100^. 



JRepoH o/Mr. G. P. Faruan. 



During the greater part of the month of September 1905, through the 

 kindness of the British Association Committee, I occupied a table at the 

 Zoological Laboratory at Naples. While I was there I spent my time in 

 examining tlie anatomy of as many species of Tectibranchs as I could 

 obtain in a live state, with special reference to the morphology and 

 innervation of the mantle. The subject has, however, been so thoroughly 

 worked out by Pelseneer, Mazzarelli, Vayssiere, and others that in the 

 short time at my disposal I was Unable to do more than go over the 

 "ground that is already well known through their works. 



lieport q/* Professor J. Arthur Thomson. 



During my short occupancy of the table I was able to work over more 

 than a score of Mediterranean Alcyonarians. I came upon what seems 

 to me to be a specimen of the apparently rare Gorgondla bianci, von 

 Koch, and I was able to sujDplement von Koch's all too brief description. 

 In strictness it should be referred to the genus Leptogoryia. In the 

 collection which was generously submitted to my investigation I found 

 Sarcodictyon catenata, which has, I think, been omitted from the 

 Mediterranean list. Of some interest was a form of Isidello from deep 

 water, which was in various respects different from the typical Isidella 

 elongata. I also studied Avhat seems to me a new species of Scirpearella 

 or Ellisella, of which I shall shortly publish a description. Finally I 

 was able to make some observations on spicule-formation in fresh 



