INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1873. xci 



The Zoological Station at Naples is designed for advanced 

 students of different countries. They are provided with ta- 

 bles, and have access to the immense material dredged in the 

 Bay of Xaples, so rich in marine life. The animals are pre- 

 served alive in large aquaria, water flowing through them in 

 pipes leading from the sea. The facilities thus afforded are 

 very great, while the effect of having scientists of various 

 nationalities working side by side will have an important 

 effect in harmonizing their results. No lectures are given, 

 and the institution is not designed to be directly educational. 



The idea of tlie Anderson School of Natural History, so 

 named from Mr. John Anderson, the founder, was undoubt- 

 edly suggested by the Naples Zoological Station. The sug- 

 gestion was first made by Professor N. S. Shaler, who planned 

 out a school for sea-side instruction, and had obtained the use 

 of a building at Nantucket. Obliged, however, to go to 

 Europe for his health. Professor Agassiz, then just returned 

 from the Hassler expedition, went on with the plan, which 

 was changed through the instrumentality of Mr. Anderson. 

 The school became the educational branch of the Museum 

 of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge. Laboratories were 

 erected, fifty students, mostly college professors and normal- 

 school teachers, accommodated, who were taught to observe 

 for themselves. The nature of the course of instruction was 

 such as was introduced by the late Professor Agassiz into 

 this country, le.,the study of zoology from the specimens, 

 and not from books. They thus learned the art of observing 

 for themselves, gaining an insight into the modes and diffi- 

 culties of research, and obtaining some idea of the vast extent 

 of the field of biology. Besides the laboratory instruction, 

 and frequent dredging excursions in the yacht Sprite^ lect- 

 ures on surface geology, glacial phenomena, the embryology 

 and structure of vertebrates and articulates, physiology, 

 physical geography, on the microscope and its construction, 

 with practical lessons in its use, and other subjects, were 

 given by Professors Agassiz, Guyot, Wilder, Brewer, Pack- 

 ard, and others. It is stated that Mr, Alexander Agassiz 

 succeeds his father as director of the school. 



The United States Fish Commissioner, Professor Baird, 

 during the past summer had his head-quarters at Peak's 

 Island, in Portland harbor. He was assisted by Professor 



