NOMAD P'UNGI 
53 
however, at present imperfectly known, must be arranged provision¬ 
ally under the pseudo-genera Uredo, Caeoma, and CEcidium; such are 
Uredo agriiiionice eupatorUe, U. Jiydrucotyles, U. quercus, Cccoiiia mercuria- 
Us pereimis, (Ecidium qiiadrifidum, (E. cleniatidis, and others, among 
our British species. 
{To be continued.) 
GENERAL REPORT ON THE DREDGING OPERATIONS 
AT OBAN OF THE BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY 
AND MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY, JULY 5th to 12th, 1881. 
BY JOHN F. GOODE AND WILLIAM P. MARSHALL. 
In this Dredging Excursion of the Society the operation of dredging 
was carried on from a small screw steam-yacht, the “ Curlew,” Capt. 
Adam, engaged for a week for this purpose, of about 20 tons burthen, 
50ft. length, and 9ft. beam; speed about 10 miles an hour. From 
nine to twelve dredgings per day were obtained in depths of water 
varying from 15 to 53 fathoms, and most generally about 20 fathoms 
depth. This steamer was found to be smaller in size than was 
desirable for convenience of working, and for speed in getting out to 
the dredging ground. 
The dredge-nets used were 2ft. wide and 2ft. long, with lOin. 
opening between the steel-edged scrapers at the mouth ; a tangle, 16in. 
long, was attached to each bottom corner of the net. Three dredges 
were taken, two of them being generally in use alternately with one 
another. A length of 100 fathoms of 2^in. circumference rope was 
taken out, and the whole length was required for the deepest dredging 
taken, which was in 53 fathoms of water. One arm only of the dredge- 
frame was made fast to the rope, the other arm being attached to the 
rope by a lashing of small cord, calculated to break before any injurious 
strain could come upon the rope ; and the utility of this provision was 
experienced on one occasion when the dredge got jammed fast at the 
bottom and the lashing parted, causing the dredge-frame to open, and 
the net to come up empty but safe. 
When the dredge was hauled up the contents were emptied out for 
examination upon a working table 3ft. wide and 4^ft. long, covered 
with white oil-cloth, fastened down smooth. This was convenient for 
sorting out the specimens and washing off the mud that was brought 
up with them, and the end of the table projected over the side of the 
vessel for discharging the debris continuously direct into the water. 
Glazed iron pans, 16in. diameter and 3in. deep, were used in sorting 
and cleaning the specimens, which were then put into wide-mouthed 
glass jars of three sizes—Gin. diameter by IGin. high, 3^in. by 8in., 
and 2in. by Gin. The glass jars were kept in a box divided into 
separate compartments for safe carriage, in which they were daily 
