This instrument was designed for taking marine muds for analysis. The requirements were that it should raise a column of mud, from eight to sixteen inches long, and without appreciable disturbance, or contamination with metal. An instrument working on the same principle was used here by Mr. R. Macdonald, and was made in Oslo. The advantages of the present model are that, while small enough to be worked by hand, it is capable of taking larger samples, and from bottoms of very varying consistencies.