414 NATURAL SCIENCE. Dec. 



months, since want of funds does not permit it to be open at other 

 times. But during that period it offers considerable advantages to the 

 investigator that is a Swede. With no other expenses than those for 

 his board and lodging, he receives a work-table, all necessary materials 

 and reagents, and the use of all the apparatus and appurtenances 

 that have just been described. That is to say, his total expenses for 

 a month's stay would amount to £-^ los. 



Natural Science has occasionally suggested that if a similar 

 generosity were extended to the student by our own Marine 

 Biological Association, no great harm would be done. It is interesting 

 to learn the results of Sweden's experience. Some have, indeed, 

 thought that a fee should be charged in return for these great 

 advantages. But the Swedish student, like many others, is, as a rule, 

 poor. The mere journey to and from the station and the cost of 

 living there are a considerable expense to him. And, as Professor 

 Theel very justly points out, if a fee large enough to benefit the 

 station even to a small extent were charged, that would necessarily 

 react as a hindrance to the pursuit of science. What science gained 

 with one hand she would lose with the other. The learned Director, 

 than whom no one has had a longer experience, therefore thinks that 

 the Academy will best perform its duty of encouraging the develop- 

 ment of science in general, and especially of Swedish science, by 

 according to the investigator facilities no less than those he can obtain 

 at Bergen or at Drobak in the sister-kingdom of Norway, or at the 

 laboratories of Arago and Roscoff in France. 



Its generosity might lead one to suppose that the finances of the 

 station were in a flourishing condition. This is by no means the case. 

 The original donation of Regnell, and later donations made by Baron 

 Oskar Dickson with his wonted liberality, have been spent in fitting 

 up the station. The yearly income which the Government grants to 

 the Academy for carrying on the work is not great. In 1878, £^^ 

 was allowed ; and since 1879 this sum has been doubled. In com- 

 parison with the sums spent on similar institutions in our own country, 

 this seems quite ridiculous. Sweden is not a rich land; but it is 

 richer than Norway, which spends just twice that amount on its 

 marine laboratories. When one considers the valuable and beautiful 

 work that has been produced at this station and printed in the 

 memoirs of the Royal Academy of Science and in other Swedish 

 publications, by such men as Loven, Theel, Tullberg, Kjellman, 

 G. Retzius, the two Aurivillius, Appellof, Wiren, Nathorst, and many 

 others, one can but express the fervent hope that no shortsighted 

 parsimony may check a stream of so much value to Sweden and to 

 the world. 



Among the advantages of this station — its scientific work, its 

 increase of a practical knowledge of marine life, its furnishing of 

 material and museum-specimens to the schools and universities of the 

 country,' its enlightening and vivifying of scientific teaching and 



