Marine Biology at Cullercoats

Abstract

THE Report for the year ending July 31, 1935, of Armstrong College Dove Marine Laboratory, Culler-coats, Northumberland, drawn up by the director, Prof. A. D. Hobson, and published by the Marine Laboratory Committee of Armstrong College, shows a successful period in the history of the Laboratory. Further alterations in the building have given more working space and the library has been extended, with most satisfactory results. Herring observations have been continued in accordance with those of previous years, also salmon investigations, the results of the latter work having been published in the Annual Report of the Tyne Salmon Conservancy Board. Interesting results have been obtained by Dr. Bull in his experiments on conditioned responses in fishes in connexion with changes of salinity, and he has also continued his observations on pollution in the Tyne estuary. Faunistic work, which has been made a speciality of the Laboratory researches, is progressing rapidly, many new additions have been made to the fauna, and a reference collection is in process of formation which will be of great value to future workers. A mussel survey of the Northumberland beds has been completed, and a report prepared and submitted to the Northumberland Sea Fisheries Committee. This report appears in the present publication, showing that the Holy Island and Budle Bay beds are the only areas of importance for bait supplies. Papers on the herring investigations by B. Storrow and Dorothy Cowan, on conditioned responses in fishes (Part 6) by H. O. Bull, and on heterogonic growth in the abdomen of Carcinus mcenas by J. H. Day (see NATURE, April 18, 1936, p. 669) are also included.