MAEINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT POET EEIN. 67 



eventually be necessary, but as the work of identifying 

 species is still in active progress, and fresh records are 

 being made annually, it is perhaps a little premature to 

 undertake such a piece of work now. Probably an appro- 

 priate time for the compilation of such an index would be 

 at the conclusion of the labours of our British Association 

 Committee, which will probably submit its final report on 

 the occasion of the visit of the British Association to 

 Liverpool in the autumn of 1896. 



The surplus copies of the five Annual Reports upon the 

 Marine Biological Station formerly on Puffin Island (1888 

 to 1892, the complete set) have been collated and bound 

 up to form an 8vo. volume of about 180 pages, illustrated 

 with cuts and plates, and containing the original litho- 

 graphed covers. There are 20 copies of this vol. which 

 are now offered by the Committee at 3s. each nett (post 

 free) ; apply to Mr. I. C. Thompson, 4, Lord Street, or to 

 Prof. Herdman, University College. 



Futuee Woek. 



During the coming year the Committee propose, in the 

 course of their dredging, trawling, and tow-netting inves- 

 tigations, to pay special attention to the nature of the sea- 

 bottom and to the assemblages of animals and plants 

 found on particular deposits. They hope, with the 

 co-operation of Mr. Clement Reid, and of any local 

 Geologists who will help them, to work up more 

 thoroughly the Geology of the sea-bottom, and so attempt 

 the solution of that interesting problem, the date and 

 circumstances of formation of the Irish Sea and of the 

 separation of the Isle of Man from England. They pro- 

 pose also to continue for at least a year the observations 

 on currents by means of " drift bottles," and would be 

 glad of any assistance in this from shipowners and captains, 



