maeine biological station at poet ekin. 39 



Dkedging Expeditions. 



During 1895 the following dredging expeditions in 

 steamers have been carried out, partly with the help, as 

 before, of a Committee of the British Association. This 

 B. A. Committee was re-appointed, for one year, at 

 the Ipswich Meeting, but must bring its labours to a 

 conclusion with a final report to the Liverpool Meeting of 

 the Association in September 1896. With that fuller 

 report in view for next year, the Committee do not propose 

 now to give details* of the separate expeditions, but 

 content themselves with the following brief summary of 

 the occasions and localities : — 



I. April 15th, 1895. — Hired steam-trawler "Lady Loch." 

 Localities dredged, to the west and north-west of Port 

 Erin, at depths of 20 to 40 fathoms. 



II. April 25th, 1895. — Hired steam-trawler " Lady 

 Loch." Localities dredged, to the west and south of 

 Port Erin, at depths of 30 to 40 fathoms. 



At one spot, 6 miles S.E. of Calf Island, 34 fathoms, 

 bottom sand, gravel and shells, such a rich haul was 

 obtained that the trawl-net tore away, and only a small part 

 of the contents was recovered. This contained, however, a 

 number of specimens of a rare shrimp Pontophilus spinosus, 

 Leach, along with Munida rugosa, Ebalia tumefacta and 

 E. tuberosa, XantJio tuberculatus, Pandalus brcvirostrus, 

 Anapagarus hyndmanni, Campylaspis sp., and Melplii- 

 dippella macera amongst Crustaceans, and the following 

 Echinoderma : — Palmipes membranaceus , Porania pulvil- 

 lus, Stichaster roseits, Luidea savignii, Synapta inhcerens, 

 and other Holothurians. There were also, of course, many 

 Mollusca, Worms, &c, and an unfamiliar Actinian, which 



*The course of procedure on these expeditions was very folly described 

 last year (Eighth Annual Report, p. 16) and need not be further referred to 

 now. 



