THE DIRECTOR S REPORT. 13 



listed in "American Men of Science," 24 percent of those regis- 

 tered in Embryology, 20 percent of those registered in Physiology, 

 and 26 percent of those registered in Botany. The results 

 certainly show that a large percentage of the students taking 

 courses have professional interests, whether acquired as a result 

 of attending the Laboratory or not. In more recent years the 

 demand for the courses has been steadily increasing, and while 

 it is too early to say yet from the evidences of publication, it is 

 nevertheless our strong impression that the professional interest 

 has been increasing. 



With the present excess of applicants for the courses, it seems 

 possible both to stress more the intent of the courses as training 

 for research, and also to devise better methods of selection, with 

 this aim in view, from the applicants who present themselves. 

 It was accordingly decided by the Executive Committee on the 

 recommendation of the Board, to set definite numerical limits 

 to each of the classes, and to devise a form of application for 

 admission better suited to bring out the information necessary 

 for selection on this principle. The new form of application is 

 printed on pp. 36-38. 



The number of subscribing and cooperating institutions in- 

 creased from 6 1 in 1922 to 71 in 1923. Of the total amount of 

 $11, 600 received from these institutions $5,425 was subscribed 

 for students' tables and $6,175 for research accommodations. 

 Hitherto these institutions have enjoyed priority rights of admis- 

 sion for their students up to a certain number from each. This 

 has involved certain difficulties of administration, with reference 

 especially to admission of students from other institutions. It 

 was accordingly decided by the Executive Committee to do 

 away with right of priority for students' places, and to accept 

 applicants solely on their merits; this action is without prejudice 

 to the rights of such institutions in their research accommoda- 

 tions. We hope and believe that the necessity of this decision, 

 which has been gradually approached by successive limitations 

 of priority rights to students' places, will be recognized by the 

 institutions concerned. The Marine Biological Laboratory 

 belongs to all American institutions in which the spirit of investi- 

 gation is living, and equal opportunity for admission of students 

 should be open to all. 



