D. J. SCOURFIELD ON FRESH-WATER BIOLOGICAL STATIONS. 135 



Cladocera, Hydrachnida, and Rotifera, are in the printer's 

 hands. 



So far the Sutton Broad Laboratory is the only fresh-water 

 station that has been established in this country, but it is only 

 fair to call attention to the good work which has been carried out 

 in Scotland since 1892 by the Lake Survey under Sir John 

 Murray. Although concerned more particularly with the 

 bathymetrical and physical features of the lakes, the biology has 

 not been neglected, and it is not altogether improbable that the 

 Survey may find it advisable at a future date to maintain a 

 permanent station on one of the lakes more particularly for 

 biological observations. 



In conclusion, I would like to make a few remarks about 

 the ideal fresh-water biological station of the future. It will 

 be evident, from what has been said concerning the existing 

 stations, that none of them, not even the largest and best 

 endowed, are much more than experiments on a small scale, and 

 that, with the exception of the Illinois Station perhaps, scarcely 

 any attempt at co-ordinated research has been made, owing chiefly 

 to lack of funds. But organised and continuous work of a staff 

 of specialists for a considerable period of time ought to be a 

 fundamental principle of an ideal station. If this were carried 

 out properly, it would probably be found that, so far from 

 following at a distance in the footsteps of the marine stations, as 

 they have practically done up to the present, the fresh-water 

 stations would take the lead in biological investigations in the 

 future, because, owing to the simpler conditions of existence in 

 fresh water, most of the fundamental problems could be attacked 

 by them with more hope of success than by marine stations. 



As I conceive it, therefore, the ideal fresh-water biological 

 station of the future will be a somewhat elaborate institution, 

 comparable to an astronomical and meteorological observatory, 

 employing a permanent staff of at least four or five specialists and 

 also providing accommodation for a number of temporary workers. 

 Its functions will be (1) systematic and continuous observation of 

 all the organisms in one or more pieces of water, and of the 

 changes in their environment ; (2) experimental work with 

 selected species on various scales in artificial ponds and tanks ; 

 (3) special researches into the morphology, embryology, physiology, 

 etc., of different species as suggested by the observations made 



