bb TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



as to determine the nature of the minute animals and 

 plants, their relative abundance, and their variations, 

 seasonal or otherwise, in quantity and character through- 

 out the year. 



The investigation has both scientific and economic 

 importance. We know that some of these organisms, 

 although so minute and individually insignificant, may 

 exist in such quantities as to discolour the sands or the 

 sea-water, and even give rise to plagues amongst shell- 

 fish and other more directly valuable animals. Invasions 

 of this kind, due to Dinoflagellata closely allied to our 

 Amphidinium, are known to have appeared in the United 

 States and on the Australian coast, and possibly else- 

 where. It is work worthy of some of our younger 

 botanists and zoologists who are skilful microscopists and 

 have ready access to the coast throughout the year, to 

 try to extend our knowledge of the characters, range of 

 distribution, and life-conditions of some of these 

 remarkable organisms. The marine Dinoflagellata not 

 only present scientific problems to the field naturalist, 

 the cytologist, the experimental biologist, and the bio- 

 chemist, but also from their vast numbers and sudden 

 changes are bound to have a great effect upon the 

 metabolism of the ocean, and so upon the distribution 

 and prosperity of our sea-fisheries. 



Plankton Investigations. 



The plankton work has been carried on in much the 

 same way for the last five years, with the help of various 

 Assistants, from the S.Y. " Runa " out at sea during the 

 Easter and Summer vacations, and across Port Erin Bay 

 in small boats during the rest of the year. 



In all, about 400 samples have been collected from 

 Port Erin and the neighbourhood during the year, in 



