2/0 An Account of the Excursions {igio). [Sess. 



views are both impressive and grand, and seats were arranged 

 at various points commanding the finest prospects. Before 

 leaving, Mr Gillespie conducted the party to a den in the wood 

 where badgers and foxes live together. 



Through the kindness of the officials of the Scottish Fishery- 

 Board, the cruiser Goldseeker was placed at the disposal of the 

 Society on Saturday, 25th June, when a dredging excursion 

 took place on the Eirth of Forth. The steamer, with a party 

 of over 40, under the leadership of Mr D. C. M'Intosh, 

 B.Sc, left Granton before eleven o'clock and made for the 

 north side of the Firth. Nearly opposite Methil preliminary 

 observations were made as to the depth of the water, its 

 temperature and salinity, and also the nature of the bottom. 

 In this connection the structure and use of the water-bottle 

 were explained, and samples of the bottom deposits were 

 brought up. Types of the different kinds of nets used were 

 also exhibited. Specimens of the floating organisms at various 

 depths were collected by tow-nets. These included larval 

 fishes, Crustacea, and tiny jelly-fishes (the sea-gooseberry or 

 pleurobrachia). The working of a commercial trawl-net was 

 also demonstrated, with the result that there were brought on 

 deck numerous examples of fishes and marine invertebrates. Of 

 the former were specimens of flounder, plaice, ling, rough dab, 

 lemon sole, cod, haddock, whiting, red gurnard, herring, sprat, 

 and the interesting fishing-frog or angler. The invertebrates 

 included sponges, jelly-fishes, hydroid-zoophytes, sea-anemones, 

 sea-urchins, starfishes, brittle -stars, tube -forming worms, an 

 octopus, and many varieties of shell -fish. There were also 

 found examples of the sea -squirt, the young of which show 

 traces of vertebrate descent. As the day had become some- 

 what boisterous, it was decided not to use the dredge. In- 

 stead, the party enjoyed a run up the Firth to the Forth 

 Bridge, returning to Granton in time to disembark before 

 six o'clock. 



The following Saturday another large party went to Fala 

 and Soutra. Leaving the train at Eskbank, they motored to 

 Blackshiels. The smallest of the three motors which conveyed 

 the party was the quickest, and it passed the others, the 

 members inside being determined to find the sulphur-wort 



