171 LAND AND FRESH WATER MOLLUSCA OF BUTE. 
Helicidse in as far as it relates to the species 
observed in Bute, and thus bring together all the 
information we at present possess concerning the 
number of species known to occur in the island, 
and also what we know as to their distribution. 
By way of explaining how I am in a position to 
attempt this work, it may be stated that in October, 
1886, the Fishery Board for Scotland requested me 
to proceed to Rothesay to carry out some investiga- 
tions at the Royal Aquarium; and I was stationed 
there till the end of June in the following year, 
that is, between eight and nine months. During 
these months a good deal of my leisure time was— 
devoted to the examination of the land and fresh- 
water invertebrate fauna of the island. 
My modus operandi was somewhat as follows. 
During the shorter days the locality in the vicinity 
of the Aquarium was examined, and here a few 
interesting “finds” were secured, including the rare 
Limax (Amalia) gagates. One or two visits were 
also made to Loch Ascog and Loch Fad, but com- 
paratively little was done throughout the winter. 
As soon, however, as the longer days of spring and 
early summer arrived, I frequently visited, in the 
early morning and also in the evening, localities 
more distant than those I had been able to reach 
during the winter months. Two or three times 
every week, when the weather was favourable, I _ 
was in the habit of leaving Rothesay between 3 and 
4 a.m., or sometimes earlier, and proceeding to some 
place previously fixed on, where | would spend a 
short time collecting material and taking notes, 
after which I returned so as to reach the Aquarium 
before 9 am. In this way I have visited Loch 
Ascog, Loch Fad, Greenan Loch, Ettrick Bay, St. 
Ninian’s Bay, Kames Bay, and other places. A good 
deal of time was thus also devoted to the exami-_ 
nation of the shores as well as the landward part of 
the island, and that without interfering in any way 
with the Board's work. These early morning . 
