MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION ON PUFFIN ISLAND. 57 
two interesting new methods of collecting would be tried 
on this cruise. First, the submarine electric hight, which 
gave such good results in the ‘“‘ Hyena’”’ expedition of the 
previous summer, was to be used as an attraction in the 
nets let down to the bottom at considerably greater depths 
than was the case in last year’s experiments at Ramsey 
and Port Erin; and second, Mr. W. E. Hoyle’s new tow- 
net (recently exhibited and described before the Biological 
Society of Liverpool*), which can be opened and closed at 
any required depth, so as to ensure that the contents of 
the net were captured in a particular stratum of water, 
was to be taken, with the view of trying whether it could 
be worked successfully. 
Tt has often been felt by naturalists when they brought 
up free-swimming animals (such as fishes, meduse, or 
crustacea) from considerable depths that it was uncertain 
when and where these animals entered the net. This was 
the case with many of the animals collected during the 
“Challenger” expedition. They were obtained in a dredge 
net, which had been down to a depth of one, two, or say 
three thousand fathoms, but for all we know they may 
have been caught on the way down, or on the way up, and 
may not be found at the bottom at all. Consequently, 
many attempts have been made to construct a net which 
can be sent down closed to a particular depth, and then be 
opened and towed open for some distance, and then be 
closed again before being hauled up. 
Two of these are—(1) the Turbyne tow-net, used at the 
Granton Marine Station, where there are two ropes, one 
of which, used for letting down and hauling up the net, 
forms a slip noose constricting the mouth of the bag; and 
(2) the very elaborate piece of apparatus invented by 
the Prince of Monaco, and shown lately at the Paris 
* See Proceedings, vol. iii., p. 100. 
