132 D. J. SCOURFIELD ON FRESH-WATER BIOLOGICAL STATIONS. 



records it is practically indispensable that a number of biologists 

 should work together at the same place — at a biological station, 

 in fact, whatever it may be in name. 



Turning now to the fresh-water biological stations actually in 

 existence, we mav refer first of all to those on the Continent, 

 then to those in the United States, and lastly to our own little 

 station in Norfolk. 



As already stated, the first fresh-water biological station seems 

 to have been the little portable laboratory started by Drs. Fritsch 

 and Yavra in Bohemia in 1888. A good deal of work has been 

 and is still being done by its aid, and there is no doubt of its 

 usefulness in districts where it would be otherwise impossible to 

 get accommodation for biological work on the spot. Bohemia 

 also possesses a little permanent station, erected in 1892, on the 

 Unterpocernitzer Teich, about three hours' journey from Prague. 



The most important fresh-water station on the Continent is, 

 however, that at Plon in Holstein, founded by Dr. Otto Zacharias, 

 who is still in charge of the institution. It was opened in the 

 early part of 1892, and has the additional distinction, therefore, 

 of being the oldest of the permanent stations for fresh -water 

 biological research. It is a purely scientific laboratory, not 

 concerned specially with fishery or other economic problems, 

 although naturally such questions are not excluded from its field 

 of work. The district suriounding the station is an exceedingly 

 good one from the point of view of the fresh-water biologist, for 

 directly in front of the building the Grosser Ploner See stretches 

 away to the south for nearly five miles, and there are numerous 

 other lakes, ponds, and swampy hollows within a very short 

 distance. A very large amount of work has been done at this 

 station, as is evidenced by numerous papers in the Forschungs- 

 berichfe aus der biologischen Station zu Plan, of which twelve 

 volumes have now appeared. But, unfortunately, owing to want 

 of the necessary funds, it has not been possible to carry out any 

 of those more elaborate co-ordinated researches which it should be 

 t he ambition of every fresh-water biological station to undertake. 



Germany possesses two more fresh-water biological stations in 

 addition to that at Plon — namely, the Miiggelsee Station, near 

 Berlin, opened in 1893, and the Trachenberg Station in Silesia, 

 opened in 1895. Both of these, however, are essentially fishery 

 experiment stations, and the scope of their work is therefore 



