26 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



lower surface of the stones and festooning the rock delicate 

 sprays of beautifully shaped Zoophytes, elaborately sculptured 

 Polyzoa, and masses of incrusting Sponges with gorgeous 

 colouring. He sees strange looking masses of Ascidians, which 

 if incautiously touched suddenly emit two tiny jets of water, 

 thus vindicating their claim to the title of ' sea-squirts.' These 

 and various other marine animals — especially the sea-anemones 

 and the Nudibranchs — almost defy description ; they must 

 be seen to be appreciated." 



Besides the collecting and identifying of specimens, work 

 on which all the Committee were engaged more or less, various 

 pieces of more detailed research were commenced, and these 



Fig. 1. Puffin Island from the South Spit at low tide. 



along with the faunistic results have been reported upon in 

 the various papers and memoirs published in successive years. 

 Mr. Joseph Lomas in this way took up the group of Polyzoa, 

 Dr. Hanitsch started investigations on the Sponges, and 

 Mr. Isaac Thompson from this time onwards till his death 

 in 1903 made notable investigations on the Copepoda, while 

 Mr. Alfred Walker reported on the Higher Crustacea from 

 Amphipoda onwards. 



The two functions which the Liverpool Marine Biology 

 Committee endeavoured to fulfil by means of the Puffin Island 



