SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



35 1 



keeps squealing in the air around the intruder, 

 uttering a continuous " hiky hiky," and sometimes 

 flying in a more definite manner for his disturber's 

 head, no doubt according as the nest is more or 

 Josely approached. On the ground the 

 harrier stands with tail clear of the surface, his 

 neck deeply depressed on his shoulders, and his 

 back having a uniform slope. At one time two 

 males attended me noisily, and on the departure of 

 one of them the other remained constant, flying 



above me, with his black primaries spread widely, 

 or alighting not far off, and calling incessantly 

 both on the ground and in the air. Later on in 

 the day, at a very irregular strip of ground, a 

 female harrier got up about fifty yards ahead of 

 me, but as she did not return to encourage me in 

 my search, she had probably not risen from her 

 nest. This was the last harrier seen by me, as I 

 left Orkney early on the following morning. 

 46, Cumberland Strict, Edinburgh. 



MILLPORT MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION. 



A S a rule, annual reports of institutions or 

 societies do not constitute very interesting 

 reading, except to those immediately concerned. 

 Notwithstanding the probable occurrence of 

 references to the " success of the work carried 

 on," and, it may be, numerous acknowledgments 

 of financial aid, it is not infrequently the case that 

 a vein of melancholy may be detected underneath 

 all the fine phrases. When we finally come to the 

 actual facts and figures of membership and 

 donations, we often find that matters are really 

 not quite so rosy as the optimistic framers would 

 fain imagine ; it must then be admitted that the 

 pleasure to be derived from perusal may be 

 seriously interfered with. 



It is not so, however, with the annual report for 

 1897, of the Millport Marine Biological Station, now 

 issued. It cannot be otherwise characterised than 

 as eminently satisfactory throughout ; and as also 

 providing a most interesting narrative for our 

 perusal. This report merits special notice from 

 the fact that it is the first issued since the location 

 of the station in permanent quarters at Keppel 

 Pier on the Island of Cumbrae. This substantial 

 and admirably situated building was opened nearly 

 a year ago as the successor of the "Ark," beached 

 at Millport about eleven or twelve years previously, 

 r. John Murray, of the "Challenger" 

 Expedition ; for the purpose of carrying on the 

 work of a zoological laboratory. Many distinguished 

 men took advantage of the facilities for study and 

 research offered by this laboratory while located 

 in the "Ark," and among them maybe noticed 

 the names of I'rofessors Hacckel, Agassiz, Lao 

 and others, hailing from Germany, America, and 

 places nearer home 



. years ago a committee was formed for the 

 purpose of securing a permanent station for tin: 

 prosecution il and kindred I 



.rman and the 1 

 DogaM Bell, I '.'->., u Secretary. I>r 1 

 ton's untiring zeal in this ( 

 known. The pub 

 charge to the vrotion set aj exhibi- 



tion. In the course of time the facilities of the 

 "Ark" were found to be taxed to the utmost to 

 meet the demands of the students who were 

 desirous of taking advantage of such aids to 

 study and research as were afforded. The com- 

 mittee therefore began to raise funds for the 

 erection of a building more in keeping with the 

 dignity of their aims. These funds were liberally 

 subscribed, a free site was generously granted by 

 the Marquis of Bute, and the result is the hand- 

 some edifice familiar to all who sail through 

 Fairlie Roads. The new station was formally 

 opened by Dr. John Murray, assisted by a dis- 

 tinguished company, in May last, and since then 

 the tables of the laboratory have been fully 

 occupied by students prosecuting studies in various 

 departments of biology and zoology. Among these 

 were no less than eight lady medical students who 

 took advantage of the laboratory. 



Although it is too soon to expect that many 

 original discoveries should be made connected 

 with the marine fauna and flora of the area 

 dredged in the vicinity, a beginning has been 

 made in this direction. Mr. George Brebner, 

 Lecturer on Botany in University College, Bristol, 

 has been enabled to prove while at Millport that 

 two brown seaweeds belonging to the Tilop- 

 teridaceae, which were formerly looked upon as 

 separate genera, are in reality the same plant. 



The Robertson Museum, in connection with 

 the station, which is open to the public at a 

 nominal charge, was visited by many persons 

 during the season, the numbers reaching nearly 

 two thousand in July and August. In cases 

 alls are arranged the collection ol fossil 

 and contemporaneous sheila, formed by the late 

 Dr. K' 1 while his collection of seaweeds, 



illy mi untl -I by Mrs. Robl 1 tSOU, fire 

 arranged in n<:al glazed frames on tin: walls. Dr. 



Murray, and Dr, Dohrn, of Naples, also contribute 

 many I Mt«, 'i he beautiful and life 



itifj 1 il"- latter naturalist are sure to 

 attract the attention oi the visitors. 



og the summer Professor G. Bell Todd and 



