THE FRESH- WATER LOCHS 
OF SCOTLAND 
INTRODUCTION . 
Br Sir JOHN MURRAY, K.C.B., F.R.S., D.Sc, etc. 
I. — Origin and History of the Lake Survey Work 
During the Challenger and some subsequent deep-sea expeditions 
I spent many years in the exploration of the physical and biological 
conditions of the great ocean basins. While preparing the scientific 
results of these expeditions for publication, it seemed to me that, for 
the purpose of comparison, a detailed examination of the fjord-like 
sea-lochs of the coasts of Scotland might yield very valuable informa- 
tion. In order to undertake an investigation of this kind it was neces- 
sary to have a small steam yacht fitted with the necessary arrange- 
ments for taking deep-sea temperatures, for dredging and trawling, 
and other like operations. With the assistance of Mr A. P. 
Henderson, the late Mr John Henderson (both of the firm of Messrs 
D. & W. Henderson, of Partick), and financial assistance from my life- 
long friend Mr Laurence Pullar, of The Lea, Bridge of Allan, I was 
able to build a small thirty-ton steam yacht, fully equipped for oceano- 
graphical investigations near shore. This yacht was called the 
Medusa^ and during the years 1884 to 1891 she was almost continu- 
ally employed in exploring the shallow waters and deep land-locked 
sea-lochs of the coasts of Scotland. During the same period a 
biological laboratory was carried on at Gran ton, near Edinburgh, 
and another similar laboratory in a large canal-barge, called The Ark^ 
at Millport, Cumbrae, on the west coast of Scotland. This latter 
laboratory ultimately developed into the Robertson Museum and the 
laboratory of the Marine Biological Association of the West of 
Scotland, at Millport. Many valuable results were obtained by these 
investigations, in which Dr H. R. Mill, Mr J. T. Cunningham, 
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