58 LIVERPOOL. BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
Exhibition, where the square mouth of the net is closed 
when required by a blind unrolled by the action of a 
descending weight. 
Mr. Hoyle’s net has been ingeniously devised to perform 
these same actions by means of a complex mechanism and 
two leaden ‘‘messengers,” which are sent down the rope 
from the boat, the first to open the mouth of the net, and 
the second to close it. On account of the unfavourable 
weather, we were not able to give this net a fair trial on 
the ‘‘Hyzena’”’ cruise; but later on, during the “ Spindrift” 
expedition, it worked very satisfactorily. 
The first day (April 18th) was spent in crossing to Port 
Erin, and after that the weather, although fine on land, 
became very unfavourable for marine work, and the 
programme had to be considerably altered. On Friday 
morning we steamed §$.W. towards the deep water, but a 
strong wind was blowing, and after a haul of the dredge 
in twenty-seven fathoms, about five miles out, some 
bottom and surface tow-netting, a sounding in fifty 
fathoms, and then a further run to about nine miles from 
land, it was found that the heavy rolling of the vessel 
(even after the surface agitation had been considerably 
quieted down by the use of oil-bags hung over the wind- 
ward bow) rendered dredging operations impossible out 
in the open sea; so the ‘‘Hyzena’’ was put about and 
returned to Port Erin, where tow-netting and other work 
was carried on in the bay. 
The following day the wind was still stronger, so it was 
- then decided to give up the Anglesey part of the cruise, and 
devote most of the remaining days to shore and shallow 
water work around the southern end of the Isle of Man. 
Accordingly, the rocks at Port Hrin, Port St. Mary, 
Poyllvaaish Bay, and Fleshwick Bay were explored on 
the third day, and many specimens collected. On the 
