MR. W. E. HOTLE ON THE DEEP-WATER 



4. The Dunoon Basin occupies tlie channel of the river from 

 the extremity of Great Cumbrae northwards, and extends up 

 into the lower stretch of Loch Long. Its greatest depression off 

 Dunoon is 56 fathoms. 



5. Loch Goil is only about 4 square miles in area, and its ex- 

 treme depth is 47 fathoms. 



6. Tipper Loch Long is of about the same extent, but has a 

 depth of only 85 fathoms. 



7. The Garelocli has an area of about 5 square miles, and is 

 28 fathoms in depth. 



The object which I set before myself was to ascertain as fully 

 as possible the fauna of each of these depressions, limiting tliem 

 by the contour-line of 20 fathoms, and then with all the mate- 

 rials available to draw up comparative lists, and to endeavour to 

 discover their relations to each other. 



Unfortunately I have been unable to make much use of the 

 published works of my predecessors, owing to the form in which 

 their results are stated. "Fairly common in depths of 5-25 

 fathoms," with a few localities appended, is the type of a phrase 

 which occurs continually, but is, for the purposes of the present 

 inquiry, quite useless. The cases in which I have drawn infor- 

 mation from sources other than the records of the Scottish 

 Marine Station are all indicated. 



The specimens collected by Dr. Murray had been sent from 

 time to time to the British Museum, and he had received from 

 the authorities of that institution lists of these consignments, 

 along with a number of named duplicates, which were of great 

 help in the identification of my own subsequent acquisitiuns. I 

 have to acknowledge, with my siucerest thanks, the assistance I 

 have received, not only from the staff of the British Museum, but 

 from several other friends. Mr. David E-obertson and the Rev. 

 Canon Norman, whose extensive knovdedge of the British marine 

 fauna is well known, were at Millport during the greater part 

 of my stay there, and I had thus the advantage of being able to 

 consult them constantly. Messrs. Isaac C. Thompson and W. S. 

 M'Millan, of Liverpool, have been good enough to draw up lists 

 of the Copepoda for me, and Prof. Herdman has given me the 

 benefit of his acquaintance with the Tunicata. To Dr. John 

 Murray, as above stated, I owe the suggestion of the present in- 

 vestigation, as well as the means of carrying it out. 



