MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 35 



Although workers at Port Erin will no doubt in the future, 

 as in the past, make considerable use of the ordinary 

 pleasure boats of the bay, still it frequently happens that 

 one, two, or three desire to go out tow-netting, or collecting 

 round the rocks or the break- water at low tide on occasions 

 when it is inconvenient or impossible to hire a boat. 

 Under these circumstances the " Shell-bend " will be most 

 handy. It is a flat-bottomed dinghy 10 feet in length, with 

 plenty of room for three men to work tow-nets and other 

 collecting implements. When hauled ashore, the sides 

 fold down on the bottom, and then one or two men can 

 easily carry the boat for a considerable distance. 



The Visit of the British Association. 



At the conclusion of the Meeting in Liverpool last 

 September, about 100 members of the British Association 

 crossed to the Isle of Man for the purpose of spending five 

 days in exploring the Natural History and Antiquities of 

 the Island. The party broke up into four sections, of 

 which two (the Archaeologists and the Geologists) made 

 their headquarters at Douglas, while the other two 

 (Zoologists and Botanists) went on to Port Erin and 

 lived at the Bellevue Hotel. The weather throughout 

 the visit was very unsuitable for Biological work. The 

 steam-trawler " Rose Ann " was in attendance, but it was 

 impossible to go to sea in her, although attempts were 

 made both from Port Erin and Port St. Mary. The time 

 was spent in shore-collecting at various parts of the coast, 

 and in searching for the rarer Algae and encrusting 

 animals amongst the banks of Laminaria and other 

 coarser seaweeds cast ashore by the storm. 



The foreign Botanists were much pleased with the 

 marine flora, and several of the Zoologists were especially 

 interested in the abundant supply of Compound Ascidians, 



