322 REPORT — 1804. 



10. Off mouth of Perwick Bay, half a mile off, 12 fathoms ; bottom 

 small gravel. 



VI. July 8. — The Committee had the use of the Lancashire Sea 

 Fisheries steamer ' John Fell,' and dredged at the following localities :— 



1. West of Dalby, 5 miles out, 30 fathoms ; bottom mud, witli Anten- 

 nularia ramosa, Ophhira ciliaris and 0. albida, Pecten opercularis and 

 P. pusio, Turritella terebra, Hyas coarctatus, Ascidia virginea, and Engyra 

 ghi.tinans. 



2. Six-and-a-lialf miles west of Contrary Head (Peel), 38 fathoms ; 

 l^ottom fine mud, with Brissopsis lyrifera, LijjohrancMus Jeffreysii. 



3. Seven-and-a-half miles west of Niarbyl Point, 45 fathoms ; bottom 

 fine mud, with Ccdocaris Macandrem, Ounnplax rhomhoides, I'anthalis 

 Oerstedi. 



4. Five-and-a-half miles west of Glen Meay, 34 fathoms ; bottom mud, 

 many Turritella terebra with Sagartia Herdinani. 



5. Four-and-a-half miles west of the Cronk, 22 fathoms; bottom broken 

 shells and small stones, with many ophiuroids, Ebalia tuberosa, Euryno)ne 

 aspera, Atelecyclu^: septemdentatus, many encrusting polyzoa (twelve species 

 identified), including Asco2)odaria nodosa, hydroids (fifteen species identi- 

 fied), including Dicoryne conferta, new to the district ; also the cumacean 

 Campylasjns inacrojjhthalma, Sars, new to Britain. 



It may be of some use to place on record the course of procedure at 

 each dredging station on these expeditions. The plan for the day is 

 arranged with the captain of the steamer, and when the first locality is 

 reached the spot is determined on tlie chart, and the depth verified by 

 casting the lead. Then the dredge (measuring 2 feet G inches by 1 foot, 

 and weighing from 30 to 40 lbs.) is sent down with a tow-net tied on to 

 the line about two fathoms from tlie dredge. Very often a smaller di'edge 

 with a bag of cheese-cloth is sent over on the other side of the ship. One 

 or more surface tow-nets are also put out. The tow-nets, both surface and 

 deep, are looked after by Mr. I. C. Thompson, who, after hauling them, 

 first tui'ns out their contents into a clear glass jar of sea- water, and then, 

 after noting the general character of the catch and any specially conspicu- 

 ous forms, strains off the water through a small bag made of very fine 

 miller's silk, and then transfers the 'plankton' left adhering to the silk 

 into a tube containing a special preservative fluid formed chiefly of spirit, 

 glycerine, and water. 



When the dredge is brought up it is emptied on deck, and after a note 

 of the general character of the deposit and assemblage of animals has been 

 taken, any specially large or rare specimens are picked out and transferred 

 to buckets or jars of sea-water or to store-bottles of spirit. Then the heap 

 is spread out so as to form a layer not more than one or two inches in 

 depth, and one or two members of the Committee (Professor Herdman and 

 another) now settle down beside it to pass the entire mass in review inch 

 by inch, working it across a .small space of bare deck and turning over 

 every shell, stone, and specimen with an iron spoon, so as to ensure that 

 nothing escapes observation and due record in the note-book. In the 

 meantime the contents of the bottom tow-net have been dealt with by 

 Mr. Thompson, and the apparatus has been lowered for a second haul, or 

 the vessel is steaming on to a new locality. Then Professor Herdman 

 selects a fair sample of the deposit for preservation (for the Geological 

 Survey) in a small canvas bag (10 x5 inches), care being taken to include 



