SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                     Washington, D.C. 20549
                        ________________

                          SCHEDULE 13G/A
                        ________________

     INFORMATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO RULES 13d-1 AND 13d-2
            UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                       (AMENDMENT NO. 4)*

              The Meridian Resource Corporation
                        (NAME OF ISSUER)

                  Common Stock, $.01 par value
                 (TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES)

                           882545 10 6
                         (CUSIP NUMBER)





__________________

*    The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting
     person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class
     of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information
     which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

     The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not
     be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities
     Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of
     that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of
     the Act (however, see the Notes).

                                   PAGE 1 OF 6 PAGES 



          The Schedule 13G initially filed for the year ended December 31, 1993
of (i) Ardsley Advisory Partners and (ii) Philip J. Hempleman relating to the 
common stock, par value of $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), issued by 
Texas Meridian Resources Corporation (the "Company") is hereby amended by 
this Amendment No. 4 to the Schedule 13G as follows:

ITEM 4.   OWNERSHIP.
     
          Item 4 is hereby replaced in its entirety by the following:

          (a)  Amount beneficially owned: 1,255,000

          (b)  Percent of class:

          3.75% (based on the 33,433,619 shares of Common Stock reported to
          be outstanding as of November 13, 1997, as reflected in the
          Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities
          and Exchange Commission by the Company for the quarter ended
          September 30, 1997.)

          (c)  Number of shares as to which such person has:

               (i)  Sole power to vote or to direct the vote
                    0
               (ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote
                    1,255,000
               (iii)sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
                    0
               (iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                    of 1,255,000

          By virtue of Mr. Hempleman's position as managing partner of Ardsley 
Advisory Partners, a Connecticut general partnership ("Ardsley"), Mr. Hempleman 
may be deemed to have the shared power to vote or direct the vote of, and the 
shared power to dispose or direct the disposition of, the 1,255,000 shares of 
Common Stock held by the discretionary accounts managed by Ardsley and Mr. 
Hempleman (including accounts of certain clients, including investment 
partnerships for which (i) Ardsley serves as the management company and (ii) a 
general partnership comprised of the partners that comprise Ardsley serves as 
general partner, the "Discretionary Accounts), constituting 3.75% of the 
33,433,619 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of November 13, 1997, as 
reflected in the quarterly report of the Company on Form 10-Q filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission by the Company for the quarter ended 
September 30, 1997 and, therefore, Mr. Hempleman may be deemed to be the 
beneficial owner of such Common Stock.

                                   PAGE 4 OF 6 PAGES





ITEM 6.   OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON.

          Item 6 is hereby replaced in its entirety by the following:

          This Schedule 13G is filed by Ardsley, which is an investment adviser 
registered under Section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended,
with respect to the 1,255,000 shares of Common Stock held at December 31, 1997 
by the Discretionary Accounts managed by Ardsley and Mr. Hempleman.

          By reason of the provisions of Rule 13d-3 under the Act, Ardsley and 
Mr. Hempleman may each be deemed to own beneficially the shares of Common 
Stock owned by the Discretionary Accounts.  Each client for whose account 
Ardsley had purchased Common Stock has the right to receive or the power to 
direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, such 
Common Stock purchased for his account.  No such client has any of the rights 
with respect to more than five percent of the class of securities identified in 
Item 2(d).  There is no agreement or understanding among such persons to act 
together for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any 
such securities.

          To the knowledge of Ardsley, no other person has the right to
receive or the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds
from the sale of, a number of such Common Stock which represents more than five
percent of the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock.

                                   PAGE 5 OF 6 PAGES





ITEM 10.  CERTIFICATION.  (if filing pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b))

          By signing below Ardsley Advisory Partners and Philip J. Hempleman
certify that, to the best of their knowledge and belief, the securities
referred to above were acquired in the ordinary course of business, were not
acquired for the purpose of and do not have the effect of changing or
influencing the control of the issuer of such securities and were not acquired
in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having such purposes
or effect.


                            SIGNATURE

          After reasonable inquiry and to the best of their knowledge and
belief, the undersigned certify that the information set forth in this
statement is true, complete and correct.


                              February __, 1998



                              /s/ Philip J. Hempleman
                              -----------------------
                              Philip J. Hempleman, as
                              Managing Partner of 
                              Ardsley Advisory Partners




                              /s/ Philip J. Hempleman
                              -----------------------
                              Philip J. Hempleman


                                   PAGE 6 OF 6 PAGES