MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION ON PUFFIN ISLAND. 13 
It is experiences such as these, during a summer like 
the one we have just encountered, which unpleasantly 
emphasize the inconvenience of having the biological 
station at a somewhat inaccessible spot ; and which are 
causing the Committee to consider the advisability, now 
that we have had five years work at Puffin Island, of 
_ moving the centre of operations to some suitable spot 
nearer home. Although a marine fauna seems practically 
inexhaustible, still we have certainly now found and 
- recorded the great majority of the animals and plants of 
_ the Menai Straits, and have investigated to some extent 
_ the more characteristic and interesting forms of life, and 
some of the problems they present to us for solution. So 
it might well be found more profitable to break ground in 
some new part of our area, and if a suitable local habita- 
tion could be obtained somewhere in the neighbourhood 
{ of Hoylake, West Kirby, or Hilbre, although the fauna 
would not be so rich and varied as at Puffin, still the 
_ proximity to Liverpool would greatly facilitate work. 
- Then again, with our biological station near a fishing 
centre like Hoylake, we would also be able to carry on 
_ investigations with a practical bearing which might be of 
importance to the fishermen, and so help our friends on 
the Sea Fisheries Committee of the County Council in 
their most necessary and valuable work for the benefit of 
the local fisheries. Several of the lines of investigation 
started by our L.M.B.-Committee during the last few 
_ years—such as the distribution and composition of the 
surface life of the sea and its relation to the food of fishes, 
_ statistics in regard to the life-history of shrimps, and 
| habits, growth, &c., of young mussels—have opened up 
avenues leading to practical results, and which ought to be 
_ pursued further; while many other problems and lines of 
inquiry of equal biological interest and economic import- 
ance still await investigation. 
