MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. 45 



who appreciate nature, have now become of special impor- 

 tance in the philosophy of Biology since Darwin showed 

 how much centres around the problem of the "Origin of 

 Species." Now that we are beginning to understand how 

 little a species or variety is, and yet at the same time how 

 much of world-wide importance the differentiation of these 

 sets of individuals implies, the work of the ''field natural- 

 ist" — if inspired by the true scientific spirit and regulated 

 by due caution — acquires a new meaning and a real value. 

 The Biologist cannot afford to despise any line of enquiry. 

 All accurate observations have their use, and may at any 

 time prove of great importance by illustrating some theor- 

 etical question and taking their place in the elucidation 

 of the system of nature which we see around us and of 

 which we form a part. 



In conclusion I may state that the Committee are now 

 trying in various ways to add to the facilities for work at 

 the Biological Station in view of the coming Spring and 

 Summer. A few useful books of reference and monographs 

 on British animals are being collected to form a small 

 working library, extra dredges, tow-nets, and other col- 

 lecting apparatus, small aquaria and vessels, and supplies 

 of various kinds, are now being laid in, so that the 

 conditions for work in the laboratory may be reasonably 

 expected to be much more favourable in the future than 

 they were last summer. Then it may be pointed out — 

 perhaps after our association with Puffin Island it is 

 necessary to emphasize this — that at Port Erin there is 

 the comfortable Bellevue Hotel, and other hotels, and 

 lodgings of all kinds, at which students can live ; and 

 finally the Biological Station is open to lady-students as 

 well as to men, and the neighbourhood is one which, taken 

 along with the presence of the laboratory, and dredging 



