BRITISH ASSOCIATION REPORTS. 387 



formed the subject of a report presented by the committee on this 

 subject, including contributions from Mr. F. W. Gamble, B.Sc, 

 on " The Turbellaria of Plymouth Sound," by Mr. Edgar J. 

 Allen, B.Sc, on " The Larvae of Decapod Crustacea," and by 

 Mr. Gregg Wilson, M.A., B.Sc, on "How Fish find Food." 



The luminous organs in Cephalopoda. — An interesting paper 

 was read by Mr. W. E. Hoyle, illustrated by means of a number 

 of limelight pictures, describing the luminous organs of certain 

 cephalopods. 



The Marine Zoology of the Irish Sea. — Professor W. A. Herd- 

 man presented a valuable report, illustrated with maps and 

 diagrams, from a committee appointed to explore the region of 

 the Irish Sea which lies around the Isle of Man. The committee 

 consisted of the late Mr. George Brook, Professor A. C. Haddon, 

 Mr. W. E. Hoyle, Mr. J. C. Thompson, Mr. A. 0. Walker, and 

 Professor W. A. Herdman. The greater part of the area has 

 never previously been thoroughly explored, and some parts are 

 still unexamined. It is a very interesting region from the great 

 diversity of shore, depth, and bottom which it presents. The 

 Isle of Man is connected with Lancashire by a broad plateau 

 under 20 fathoms in depth. A considerable portion of the work 

 has been done in the broad southern extension which lies between 

 Liverpool and the Calf of Man, and gives depths of from 20 to 40 

 fathoms. In the shallower water around the coasts there is 

 great difference in the physical conditions, and in the fauna of 

 different regions : for example, the sandbanks and flat expanses 

 of mud off the Lancashire coast are very different in every way 

 from the more varied ground off the rocky southern shore of the 

 Isle of Man. But even the seemingly uninteresting sandy wastes 

 of Lancashire present many curious facts and problems to the 

 marine biologist. It is found that on the estuarine flats round 

 Hilbre Island, as Lindstrom suspected to be the case on the 

 coast of Gothland some years ago, the very abundant Hydrobia 

 idvce lays its eggs upon its neighbours' shells, probably as being 

 the largest and most stable objects among the shifting sand- 

 grains around it. This supposed barren region, too, is of great 

 economic importance as a nursery for young food-fishes. Eight 

 expeditions were made between September and June last, 

 and as a result about 1000 species of marine animals were 

 collected and identified. Of these 38 are new to the British 



