MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 7 



The aquarium house (see PL III) measures 20 ft. by 17 ft. 

 Its lower storey is of concrete and opens directly on to the 

 beach a few feet merely from high tide mark so that 

 dredged material can be readily conveyed in from the boat 

 to be sorted out and placed in the tanks. Sunk in the 

 floor are three large shallow tanks or concrete cisterns in 

 which large animals such as skates, or stores of smaller 

 such as mollusca, might be kept alive under fairly natural 

 conditions, with stones, sea-weed and sand, for any special 

 purpose. In one angle is the well, 9 ft. deep, into which 

 water is led by a 3 in. iron pipe from the sea (see PL IV). 

 In another corner, clamped to the wall, stands the water- 

 motor and force-pump (see PL V), arranged for us by Mr. 

 George Herdman, which draw the sea-water from the well 

 and inject it into the concrete cisterns placed on the cliff 

 behind the house. On the side next the sea are two large 

 exhibition tanks having the sides, back and floor of 

 masonry lined by concrete, while the front is plate glass. 

 These tanks are illuminated by little windows placed in 

 their outer walls above the water-line, and as there are 

 wooden shutters in front, above the water-line, all the 

 light in this lower storey enters through the water of 

 these two tanks which gives them a very bright appear- 

 ance. A straight flight of wooden steps in the centre of 

 the room leads to the upper storey, which is also entered 

 by a door from the platform on the stairs opposite the 

 laboratory (see PL II). This room has three slate and 

 plate glass tanks built into its north side, each partly 

 illuminated by a sheet of dulled glass in its outer wall 

 above the water-line. The opposite side of the room has 

 a strong built-in work table running its whole length under 

 the three windows, and on this, and on wooden stands 

 above it, can be arranged as required a number of large 

 and small movable aquaria, glass globes and jars, and other 



