528 EEPOET — 1893. 



tions Prom that point, as it is the nearest land to the most interesting- 

 and tbe least explored ground, and we made use of the laboratory of the 

 station for the first rough sorting-out of our material. As one active 

 member of the Committee, Mr. Walker, lives at Colwyn Bay, on the 

 coast of North Wales, he has been able to supply some information in 

 regard to that end of the district. 



The Committee were appointed on August 10. On account of the 

 absence of members nothing could be done during the first month ; but 

 they commenced work with a dredging expedition in the hired steam- 

 trawler ' Lady Loch ' on September 24, and other expeditions took place 

 on the following dates : November 12, January 29, March 11 to 13, 

 March 29 to April 4, April 28 to May 1, May 19 to 22, and June 17 to 19. 

 It will be noticed that the Committee have carried on their work at sea 

 during the winter months as well as in summer ; and although the entire 

 grant of 30Z., and a good deal more, has been already spent on these ex- 

 peditions, they are still continuing the dredgings whenever two or three 

 of the party can be got together, and they hope to undertake a good deal 

 of farther exploration during August and September. Notwithstanding 

 the considerable measure of success they have had during the past ten 

 months, the Committee realise vividly that their work is far from com- 

 plete, and they feel that they are justified, by the results they have 

 already obtained and by the fact that a considerable part of the area, 

 including the deep water lying between the south of the Isle of Man 

 and the north of Anglesey (see chart, Plate IV.), is still unexplored, in 

 asking to be reappointed, with a grant sufficient to enable them to carry 

 on the work for another year. 



The following is a short account of the various expeditions : — 

 I. On September 24 an attempt was made to reach the deep water 

 lying off Port Erin, but the wind was so strong and the sea so heavy that 

 it was found impossible to do any work off" the southern and western 

 sides of the island, so the ' Lady Loch ' steamed up the east side, and the 

 rest of the day was spent in dredging in the neighbourhood of Laxey at 

 the following localities : 



1. Off Clay Head, 17 fathoms: Several hauls, varied bottoms. 

 Amongst the species obtained were — Polymastia rohusta, Stiberites 

 domuncula, AmpJiilectus incrustans, Spongelia fragilis (large specimens), 

 and a desmacidonid sponge (the Halichondria expansa of Bowerbank), 

 which is new to the district, and probably belongs to the genus Amphi- 

 lectus, ten species of hydroids and fourteen species of polyzoa — Ascidia 

 mentula (containing Pinnotheres veterum), Lima Mans, and L. Loscomhii^ 

 Psammohia telUnella, Pecten varius, Trochus magus, Modiolaria marmorata, 

 and M. discors. 



2. Off Garwick Bay, 4-12 fathoms : ' Melobesia ' bottom, several 

 hauls. Here were obtained Pjudendrium capillare, Aglaoplienia plutnUy 

 and seven other species of hydroids, several polyzoa, Ebalia Cranchn, 

 Hoplonyx similis, Megamphopics cornutus, and Podocerus Herdmani — a new 

 species of amphipod named by Mr. A. O. Walker, who has given the 

 following provisional diagnosis : 



' Podocerus Herdmani, n. sp. 



' Allied to P. falcatus and P. minutus, G. O. Sars, but differing in the 

 " hand " of the second gnathopod of the male, as shown in the annexed 

 figures (fig. 2, p. 629). 



' The large tooth which in these species springs from the base of th& 



