196 
The Bouche d'Erquy in 1906. 
A visit by two observers was also paid in November last to 
collect seed for cultural work at home, whilst in April numerous 
reciprocal transplantations of the seedling Salicornias or Suaedas 
were carried out between the different habitats. A further visit 
was also made in July. 
During the autumn of the current year (September 1—15), 
a party of about twenty persons went out to continue the work. 
Following the precedent of former years they were organised in 
sections, each of the seven sections specializing on some particular 
branch of the investigation. 
Section A was entrusted with the continuation of the general 
map (Scale 1 : 240) which they extended so as to include certain 
areas which had been at a former period reclaimed from tidal 
encroachment, but have reverted to marsh once more, owing 
to the sea-walls falling into disrepair. The rather peculiar 
relations of the vegetation in these secondary marshes, will, it is 
thought, repay more detailed study than they have yet received. 
These, together with the upper reaches of the estuary, as far as the 
influence of the tides is felt, were levelled for contouring purposes. 
Section B studied the distribution of the Algae and mapped 
them along the whole course of the main river as it runs through 
the estuary to the sea. This survey led to the detection of several 
features of considerable interest relating to the effect of substratum 
and rate of flow, respectively, upon the algal vegetation. It is 
hoped that as this part of the investigation is pushed on something 
may be ascertained of the behaviour of the Algae in regard to the 
tidal cycles and of the part they play as soil formers. 
Section C re-charted the “ quadrats ” which had been made 
permanent the previous year. Several additional stations—in¬ 
cluding two in the secondary marsh—were selected and quadrats 
charted. The work of this section, taken in connection with the 
series of charts prepared last year, is very instructive and is now 
undergoing detailed analysis and tabulation so that the data of the 
two successive years may be closely compared. Mention may be 
made of two striking features which this year were apparent to all 
familiar with the marsh and which are fully recorded by the 
charting methods employed. 
The vegetation as a whole was dwarf and stunted as compared 
with the corresponding periods of 1904 and 1905 (first fortnight of 
September). Thus the shoots of Obione porlulacoides , so conspicuous 
a feature on the banks of the streams and watercourses in 1904, 
