MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 29 



The water motor and pump are not as satisfactory as 

 could be wished, but with a few alterations, which are 

 now contemplated, and which can be easily carried out, 

 we have reason to believe that the apparatus will work 

 better. Even without the pump we have, however, the 

 sea-water brought fresh every tide into our building by 

 means of the pipe from the beach and our deep well, 

 so that it is no difficult matter to keep the tanks supplied. 



The Aquarium was in excellent condition during August 

 and part of September, under the care of Dr. Hanitsch, 

 and was open daily to visitors. The greatest number of 

 visitors in one day was twenty-nine. With a permanent 

 Curator, who will have fixed hours for going round with 

 visitors and demonstrating the contents of the tanks, this 

 department of the Biological Station will probably undergo 

 considerable development, may form a not inconsiderable 

 source of revenue to the institution, and will prove an 

 additional resource and attraction to the visitors to Port 

 Erin. 



Amongst the more interesting or rarer animals which 

 lived in the Aquarium during the summer were :—Synapta 

 inhcerens, Porania pulvillus, Asterina gibbosa, Brissopsis 

 lyrifera, Panthalis oerstedi, Calocaris macandece, (several 

 individuals of this deep-sea prawn lived for some weeks ; 

 they were partly covered with fine colonies of the rare 

 Polyzoon Tritlcella boeckii), Ebalia tuberosa, Sarcodictyon 

 catenata (both red and yellow varieties), Alcyoniwm dlgl- 

 tatum, Scalpellum vulgare. 



One specimen of Aurelia aurita lived in a tank for 

 over five weeks, but diminished steadily in size during the 

 time. At the end it was about half of its original diameter, 

 but still quite active and apparently healthy. The tank 

 given up to Shrimps, Prawns, and Mysids proved a success, 

 and was a great source of interest to visitors on account 



