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Part III. — Sixteenth Annual Report 



Maea Water, Yell. 



(Examined June 4th 1897.) 



Maea Water, which is much smaller and shallower than the two former 

 lochs, lies on a sort of table-land in North Yell, between Eastavoe and 

 Blue Mull Sound. Situated in the middle of a deep moss, its shores are 

 muddy, with occasional stretches of rock or boulders. These facilitated 

 the work of examination, which otherwise would have been difficult. 



(5) Unst. 

 HelUers Water, Unst, 

 (Examined June 22nd 1897.) 



Examined, along with a small neighbouring loch, between 9 and 

 10 p.m. on the occasion of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Ilelliers 

 Water lies in a very lonely spot in a deep hollow on the hill of Colvidale, 

 which forms part of the more easterly of the two parallel ridges of high 

 land in Unst. It is a deep loch, with stones and gravel about the 

 margin and bottom, and the water is clear and transparent. Very little 

 free-swimming life was observed, and algae were not abundant, but some 

 mollusca were found about the margin. The small, shallow, clayey loch 

 which was examined at the same time appeared to be more prolific. The 

 gatherings from the two lochs were mixed together. 



Helliers Water and a small island near its centre appeared to be 

 frequented by eider ducks, nearly a dozen of which were swimming about 

 during our examination. A large white owl, too, that had perhaps been 

 disturbed by the bonfires and the crowds on the neighbouring hills, kept 

 flitting about, frequently permitting us to get within 40 yards distance. 



FAUNISTIC NOTES. 



(1) Loch of Kebister, Geemista, Lerwick. 



In the note describing some of the physical conditions of this loch, 

 and the circumstances attending the examination of it, reference is made 

 to the purity of the water and to the apparent scarcity in it of animal 

 life. A glance through the gathering of invertebrates collected shows 

 that, on this occasion at least, appearances were not deceptive. The 

 total number of Entomostraca obtained in this gathering was six — four 

 species of Copepoda and two of Cladocera ; there were also a few beetles 

 and other insects. Probably if the loch were examined later on in the 

 year, say towards the end of summer, a greater number and variety of 

 invertebrates would be obtained. It is interesting to note that one of 

 the six Crustaceans contained in the gathering was Diaptomus ivierzejskii, 

 a Copepod rare in the lochs on the mainland of Scotland, but apparently 

 almosli ubiquitous in those of Shetland and the Outer Hebrides. 



(2) Lochs in Northmavine. 



Loch of Flugarth, North Roe. 



Thirteein species of Crustacea were obtained in the gathering from this 

 loch comprising eight species of Copepoda, four species of Cladocera, and 



