129 



FRESH-WATER BIOLOGICAL STATIONS. 



By D. J. Scourfield, F.R.M.S. 



{Resume of lecture delivered December l&lt, 1904.) 



In dealing with the subject of Fresh- water Biological Stations, it 

 will be useful, first of all, to glance rapidly at the progress made 

 in fresh-water biology in recent years, paying special attention to 

 the factors which have led to the movement in favour of the 

 establishment of such stations. 



The successful founding of the Naples and other marine 

 stations in the 'seventies and early 'eighties, while actually retard- 

 ing for a time the progress of fresh-water biological research, 

 owing to the impetus given to marine investigations, no doubt 

 suggested to many that the organisation of somewhat similar 

 institutions for work on inland waters would necessarily yield 

 excellent results. But this factor alone does not seem to have 

 had much immediate effect, although it was to bear fruit later. 



By the middle of the 'eighties, however, the general deepening 

 of biological research was making it evident that, in spite of 

 an almost overwhelming accumulation of morphological facts, 

 obtained by a host of individual workers with the microscope and 

 microtome, something more was wanted for the solution of most 

 of the fundamental problems of biology — namely, the study of 

 organisms as living creatures in their normal environment. But 

 such a task, if it is to be undertaken in anything approaching a 

 thoroughgoing manner, is quite beyond the power of any number 

 of isolated workers, and so the idea of co-ordination of specialists 

 in biological stations was forced to the front ; and since the con- 

 ditions of existence in fresh water are so much simpler and so 

 much more under control than in the ocean, the movement in 

 favour of fresh-water stations for this purpose gained in con- 

 sequence. 



In countries, too, situated far from the sea, the need was 

 beginning to be felt about the same time for something similar 

 to the marine stations, but near at hand. It was recognised that 



Jourx. Q. M. C, Series II. — No. 56. 9 



