84 NATURAL SCIENCE. ^pril. 



by naturalists under difficulties ; literally cribbed, cabined, and 

 confined on board ship, and at best unable to do more than collect 

 and observe. Systematic investigation of the more difficult problems 

 — for instance, those of development — which are of such vast impor- 

 tance to the modern biologist, has been out of the question." The 

 report of Professor W. K. Brooks in the Johns Hopkins University 

 Circular for February, alone suffices to show what success may be 

 expected in Jamaica. With fourteen colleagues he spent last summer 

 at Port Henderson, in Kingston Harbour, opposite Port Royal, and 

 materials were obtained for many important researches. Among 

 other novelties. Professor Brooks secured a good series of the 

 successive stages in the development of the minute crustacean Lucifer, 

 sufficient for the preparation of an elaborate memoir on the 

 embryology of that interesting organism. 



Lady Blake estimates the expense of the undertaking at ;^i 5,000, 

 and such a sum ought surely to be raised with no great difficulty if 

 the two English-speaking nations on both sides of the Atlantic will 

 make a united effort to raise a monument worthy to commemorate the 

 discoverer of the New World. 



No definite details are given in Lady Blake's letter as to the 

 precise plan on which the establishment is to be founded, although 

 we presume from the estimate of the cost that these have been care- 

 fully thought out. In a third letter on the subject, Professor E. Ray 

 Lankester calls attention to the need of such details, and lays especial 

 stress on the necessity of an adequate scientific and working staff, 

 as well as on the importance of having a good cruiser attached to the 

 establishment. With these observations we cordially agree, although 

 we venture to think that those who have had experience of a tropical 

 climate will attach more importance to the need for good substantial 

 buildings than he is inclined to give. We shall, however, doubtless 

 soon be furnished with further information from Jamaica on these 

 points as the scheme matures, and in the meantime we wish it every 

 success. 



Field Clubs. 



The spirit of Gilbert White and Darwin appears to be sadly on 

 the wane among some of our British Field Clubs. There is plenty of 

 vitality, it is true, in these admirable organisations, and they are all 

 doing a good work by fostering the love of nature in their respective 

 districts. Something more, however, is expected from the Field 

 Clubs beyond the rousing of interest in the minds of those who would 

 otherwise look upon Natural Science with apathy. Every club has 

 a certain number of enthusiastic naturalists who devote all their 

 leisure to the pursuit of their favourite studies ; and this work results 

 in many cases either in valuable collections or original papers, or in 

 both. Sometimes the results are of so much interest and permanent 



