MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 25 



from the erosive action to which our sea coasts are 

 exposed. 



During the second year's work it became obvious to the 

 Committee that in order to advance further in their explorations 

 and to carry on detailed investigations into the habits and 

 life- histories of the marine animals of the neighbourhood, it 

 would be necessary to establish a small seaside laboratory or 

 biological station at some suitable spot in the district. This 

 idea led, after the consideration of various localities, to the 

 conversion of the old Dock Board observatory and signalling 

 station on the seaward end of Puffin Island, at the northern 

 entrance to the Menai Straits, into a biological station which was 

 opened for work in the summer of 1887 and remained in constant 

 use as the marine laboratory of the Committee until 1892. 



The first of our series of 33 Annual Reports gives an 

 account of the natural features of Puffin Island, of the accom- 

 modation at the converted observatory, and of the manner in 

 which the Liverpool naturalists and their working party during 

 some days in May, encamped on the Island with their materials 

 and goods ; and cleared out, repaired and fitted up the new 

 institution so as to render it habitable. Much work was carried 

 on during the remainder of that summer and autumn by 

 various members of the Committee and other visiting 

 naturalists, and the following sentences may be quoted from 

 the First Annual Report to give some idea of the conditions 

 of work on that lonely island : — 



" Shore collecting on Puffin Island on a summer morning, 

 with a low ebb tide, is most delightful work. The naturalist 

 explores the deep crevices and pools in the limestone reefs, 

 lifts up or turns over the smaller of the detached fragments 

 of rock and creeps under the larger ones, peering curiously into 

 all the corners and crannies, and probably oblivious of the pool in 

 which he has placed his knees and of the stream of drops which 

 is trickling down the back of his neck. He sees covering the 



