13G 1). J. SCOURFIELD ON FRESH- WATER BIOLOGICAL STATIONS. 



under (1) and (2) ; and perhaps, (4), a certain amount of teaching 

 work occasionally. The permanent staff would be responsible for 

 and mainly concerned with the first of the foregoing functions, 

 and also, of course, with the fourth if it were permitted ; while the 

 experimental and special research work might probably be largely 

 undertaken by competent temporary workers. 



With such an organisation I feel convinced that not only would 

 our knowledge of fresh-water organisms become enormously 

 extended in a few years, but good progress would be made with 

 the elucidation of fundamental problems, as, for example, the 

 laws of heredity and the causes of variation, the two most 

 important questions before biologists — and the man in the street 

 if he did but know it — at the present time. 



The cost of such a station would, however, be considerable, 

 and there seems but little hope of such an institution being 

 established just yet. In the meantime, the existing stations are 

 doing good work, and should be encouraged in every way, 

 especially by being used more extensively by workers in different 

 branches of fresh -water biology. 



Journ. Quekett Microscopical dob, Ser. 2, Vol. IX., No. 50, April 1905. 



