20 ON ENTOMOSTEACA COLLECTED IN THE SOL WAT DISTRICT 



Bay at Grange-over-Sands. These muddy expanses, wlien left 

 by the tide, are seen to be covered with the contorted mounds 

 thrown up by innumerable lug- worms; and so very closely 

 packed are these that there is rarely a space of more than a few 

 inches untenanted by its worm : they form, in fact, quite a con- 

 spicuous feature in photographs taken under these circumstances, 

 and I do not doubt that the worms themselves, passing through 

 their bodies in this way the mud laden with decomposing organic 

 matter, which they absorb and assimilate, exert a most powerful 

 sanitary influence in thus purifying what would otherwise be- 

 come a reeking, pestiferous swamp. Beyond these lug-worms 

 I am unable to say anything about the larger mud-inhabiting 

 fauna of the district. I thought it very likely that Echino- 

 cardium cordatum and perhaps Synapta might be found, as they 

 are in similar localities in the Clyde Estuary, but the little time 

 which I spent in digging for them did not suffice to disclose any 

 specimens. ISTor had I any opportunity of dredging in the Sol way 

 Pirth. The water is shallow and the bottom uniformly sandy. 

 I think it would be sure to yield interesting Microzoa belonging 

 to such groups as the Copepoda and Ostracoda; perhaps also 

 Cumacea and Mysidae, but the absence of cast-up deh-is on the 

 shore — either of the larger Crustacea or Mollusca — seems to in- 

 dicate a dearth of those creatures outside. 



The littoral zone being chiefly of the character already 

 described, there is not, except in certain restricted areas', much 

 opportunity for shore-hunting of the ordinary kind. But away 

 from the "sphere of influence" of the estuarine mud there 

 occur occasional patches of inter-tidal rock with promising- 

 looking pools : these are, however, fearfully storm-swept and 

 incapable of affording much shelter to adherent animals. A 

 few common Hydrozoa such as Sertularice and Cmnpanularm, a 

 few patches of "■ Hydra-tuha,''^ and Ascidians, were I think, 

 with Aleyonidium gelatinosum, about all that I noticed. Among 

 swimming things there were however many Amphipoda and 

 Copepoda ; and I took also several specimens of the pretty 

 Mysis LamorncB. My most interesting captures were, how- 

 ever, made by washing the muddy deposit found on the bottoms 



