242 BIOLOGICAL LECTURES. 



the Naples station at hand, yes, within the walls of that grand 

 station, loudly sneering at Darwinism, and spending his wit in 

 derisive caricatures of general truths beyond the horizon of 

 his special work and thought. And shall we forget the physi- 

 ologist whose philosopher's stone is the search for his ancestry 

 among the arachnids ; or the anatomist who reverses his tele- 

 scope to discover that his science begins and ends in termi- 

 nology ? And could we, much as we might yearn for such a 

 benediction, forget the omnipresent and omniscient systematist, 

 whose creed is summed up in priority ? 



The catholicon for crankiness has not been found, but in 

 science there is but one cure where cure is possible ; it is ex- 

 posure to the full and direct rays of the system as a whole. The 

 application to the subject in hand is patent. The one great 

 charm of a biological station must be the fullness with which it 

 represents the biological system. Its power and efficacy dimin- 

 ish in geometrical ratio with every source of light excluded. 



My plea, then, is for a biological station, and I believe that 

 experimental biology would be the most important element in 

 such a station. It is now possible to procure a favorable site, 

 with land and fresh-water privileges, in close proximity with the 

 Marine Biological Laboratory, and with a moderate foundation 

 to start with, the work could begin at any moment. 



The project is certainly one of preeminent importance, and 

 for a successful undertaking of that magnitude we need the 

 active cooperation of American naturalists. I bring the sug- 

 gestion before you in the hope that it will enlist your interest 

 and support. 



