In continuation of the scheme commenced last year for making a detailed survey of the marine fauna in the estuaries on the Devon and Cornish coasts, an examination has been undertaken during the present summer (1901) of the Exe estuary. For this purpose the floating laboratory bot Dawn, which has been generously placed at our disposal and maintained by Mr. J. W. Woodall, was towed to Exmouth and moored in the dock there, where she remained from July to September.

Samples of sand were taken, either from the shore immediately above low water of spring tides, or from the bottom in a few inches of water.

With one exception no samples were dredged. The localities were few: Polesands; the north or estuarine shore of the Warren west of Salthouse Lake; the banks of the Salthouse Lake; a low-water stream on the Warren; near Lympstone; and (the dredged sample) within Exmouth Docks.

In the year 1899 I commenced a series of tow-nettings round the coast of Shetland, and established four stations—one south of Sumburgh Head (III.), one west of Papa Stour (IV.), one of the northernmost points of Shetland (V.), and one due east of Bressay (VI.). During 1899 my yacht (the Walwin), a cutter of forty tons, made the round of these stations once a month during October, November, and December; and in 1900 during January, February, March, April, May, and June. During July, 1900, a passage was made across to Thorshaven (and back to Scalloway, Shetland), where stations were established, numbered respectively A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9. (See Chart.) During August, 1900, only a short trip to the first two stations in the Faröe Channel was possible. In October, 1900, January, 1901, April, 1901, the stations round Shetland were visited again, and during May, 1901, a further passage was made to Thorshaven and back to Scalloway, visiting the stations previously fixed in the Faröe Channel. This passage was repeated in June, 1901, and again in July, 1901.

The first part of a lengthened and detailed statistical paper on the structure and seasonal growth of Gadoid and Pleuronectoid scales will shortly be issued from the Marine Laboratory.

The forthcoming paper will show by means of tabulated statistics that scale growth is accelerated during the warmer season of the year; but diminished during the colder season in such a methodic manner as to cause the formation of annual rings. The formation of these annual rings results from the fact that the lines of growth on the scale surface are comparatively widely separated from one another in that portion of the scale formed during the warmer season of the year; but much less widely separated in that part built up during the colder season.

Sycon compressum is one of the long-recognised sponges, that stand refreshingly conspicuous in a group made difficult with doubtful definitions. The unique dermal spicules, and the striking outward form, divide it from other species in a way quite different from that in which Sycon raphanus is divided from S. villosum or Renicra cinerea from Reniera permollis.

No description of the young of this species seems to exist, with the exception of that given by Emery (1) of some examples from Naples.

The specimens here described were captured at Newquay, on the north coast of Cornwall, in September, 1898, and have been preserved in formol. They were caught in sandy pools surrounding or surrounded by rocks in the shelter of which they seemed to be fond of lying. When disturbed they darted with considerable rapidity from place to place, and in doing so were seemingly assisted by the large pectoral fins which were carried nearly at right angles to the body by the fish when at rest.

So far as I have been able to discover, there is no record of the presence of this or any other Squilla in the North Sea; to make sure I inquired of Dr. Hoek, whose experience is unrivalled, and he assures me that the only record is that of an Erichtheus stage, discovered on the Dogger Bank during the cruise of the Pommerania (1872). Early in May (1901) I received through the Director of the Natural History Museum a specimen of Squilla, as to the rarity of which in the Channel he called my attention.

On the invitation of the Norwegian Government a second International Conference met at Christiania in May, 1901, to revise and complete the proposals formulated at the Stockholm Conference in 1899 for a combined hydrographical and biological exploration of the North Sea and adjoining waters in the interests of the sea-fisheries.

12 noon.—Opening of the Conference in the reception hall of the University of Christiania by His Excellency the Prime Minister of Norway, Mr. Steen.

On behalf of His Majesty the King of Norway, Mr. Steen extended a cordial welcome to the members of the Conference. He said that they were assembled, as all knew, to draw up their final proposals for an international investigation of the North and adjacent seas. Repeated attempts on an isolated footing had been made to solve the problems of the sea and of the manifold life beneath its surface, and only after ripe experience had the different nationalities come to recognise that cooperation in their labours was essential to success.