17 



THE 



MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN, 



BEING THE 



SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 



OF THE 



LIVERPOOL MARINE BIOLOGY COMMITTEE. 



We close our eighteenth year of work under the shadow 

 of a recent sorrow and in presence of a serious loss. Mr. 

 Isaac C. Thompson has been the Honorary Treasurer and 

 business-head of the Committee since its foundation in 

 1885, and his sudden death in November has left a giap in 

 our life and work which no one man can fill. We shall 

 be fortunate if we obtain in his successor the devoted 

 Treasurer without requiring him to be also the accom- 

 plished Naturalist. The Committee have not as yet filled 

 up the post. It is probably best that the current year's 

 affairs should be wound up in Mr. Thompson's name and 

 that the new Treasurer should take over the work at the 

 beginning of a new year. A brief memoir containing an 

 account of Mr. Thompson's scientific work and a list of 

 his published papers will be found appended to this 

 Report. 



Another vacancy on the Committee is caused by the 

 death of Sir James Poole who, although not himself a 

 Naturalist, showed considerable interest in the work 

 during the earlier days. He took part in dredging 

 expeditions, helped to meet the expense of investigations 



