282 CARNEGIK INSTITUTION 



6. Specific Proposals. That this station be established at Cold 

 Spring Harbor, which has the advantages of abundant fresh water, 

 proximity to the sea, good sanitary conditions, great variety of en- 

 vironments, proximity to New York, to the Biological Laboratory, 

 and to the New York Fish Hatchery. 

 Respectfully submitted, 



Charles B. Davenport. 



ESTABLISHMENT OF A BIOLOGICAE FARM 

 By Dr. C. O. Whitman 



The following is quoted from the report of Dr. C. O. Whitman, on 

 a biological farm in connection with the Marine Biological Labora- 

 tory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts. 



The fundamental problems of heredity, variation, and evolution 

 can not be wholly considered in the laboratory. They concern vital 

 processes known only in living organisms — processes which are 

 slow and cumulative in effects, expressing themselves in develop- 

 ment, growth, Hfe histories, species, habits, instincts, intelligence. 

 These problems require, therefore, to be taken to the field, where 

 the forms selected for study can be kept under natural conditions, 

 and where the work can be continued from year to year without in- 

 terruption. Such a field, combining land and water, and stocked 

 with animals and plants, and provided with a staff of naturalists, 

 would have the essentials of a biological farm, now justly considered 

 to be one of the great desiderata of biology. 



This great need has been felt ever since Darwin's time, and has 

 been strongly urged by such evolutionists as Romanes, Varigny, 

 Galpon, Weismann, and Mendola. Thus far the project has not 

 been realized, except on a small scale, through individual effort. 



The functions to be fulfilled by a biological farm are the deep and 

 broad needs of pure research on living organisms. The problems of 

 heredity and variability are fundamental and naturally form the cen- 

 ter of interest. Variability is the source of new species and the 

 fountain of all progressive development in the organic world. In 

 heredity lies the power of propagation and continuity of species. 

 These are inexhaustible subjects, from the investigation of which 

 must flow rich accessions to knowledge, which will redound to the 



