Page:VCH Kent 1.djvu/141

 ZOOLOGY MARINE ZOOLOGY IT is now a number of years since I studied the marine animals in any part of Kent, and then only in a few places suitable for living on board my yacht Glimpse. There are long stretches of coast quite unfit for this, which I have never examined ; and probably the number of animals which I have been able to collect falls far short of what could be found if the whole coast were adequately examined. I have studied more or less completely seven different localities, viz., the Thames near Greenhitheand Erith ; the Medway at and above Chatham ; the Swale at and above Queenborough ; Ramsgate ; the Stour above and below Sandwich ; Dover and the middle of the Straits of Dover. Some of these can scarcely be called marine localities, but are of interest in showing the changes which occur in passing down the lower end of rivers to the sea. My knowledge of the coast being thus confined to only a few districts, it would have been impossible for me to deal with my subject in anything like a satisfactory manner, if it had not been for the kind assistance of Mr. Sibert Saunders of Whitstable, Mr. Edward Horsnaillof Folkestone, and Mrs. Hillier, widow of the late Dr. Hillier of Ramsgate. Fortunately these had studied quite different parts of the coast, and had collected animals belonging to groups which I had neglected, whereas I had studied those to which they had paid little or no attention. The result is that I am able to give a better account of the subject than at one time I thought possible. On the whole it seems to me best to describe my observations in different localities, and to give entire the list of animals found by my friends elsewhere, modifying some of the names so as to correspond with those in my article on the marine biology of Essex.^ This plan will to some extent show local variations. Salinity of the Water. Since the distribution of the various animals depends so much on the salinity of the water, it will be well to consider this first. I have carefully studied it over a wide area in the district of the Thames estuary, along the coasts of Suffolk, Essex and Kent during the months of May to September inclusive, and found that no very considerable difference materially influences the distribution of the animals, unless it be that other conditions influence both. My observations along the « r.C.H. Essex, i. 69. 91