THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB. 361 



liowever, necessary. The facts liad to he co-ordinated, and the Hves of tlie 

 organisms considered with regard to their own environment, and as forming 

 parts of a complex whole. Thus the foundation of maiine stations was one 

 •factor that contributed to the institution of freshwater stations. Another was 

 the question of fisheries, for freshwater fish was much more largely used for food 

 on the Continent than in this country. Timnology, or the study of lakes, also 

 played an important part in the development of freshwater biological research ; 

 and a very good example of work of this kind was that done by Dr. Forel in his 

 investigation of the Lake of Geneva. The use of the net for obtaining water and 

 the contained organisms at various depths was then explained, as well as the 

 methods for calculating the numbers of any given species in a definite volume of 

 •water. These had to be studied as forming quite a little world of their own, for 

 they were not in any way dependent on the shore. The supply of drinking water 

 was another factor which had to be taken into account. Bohemia led the way in 

 the matter of freshwater biological research with a portable wooden station, 

 •constructed in 1888 under the direction of Dr. Anton Fritsch, and this inaugurated 

 •on a small scale the systematic study of the fauna and flora of the European lakes, 

 which has since been carried on more exhaustively elsewhere, and led to the 

 establishment of the fine station at Plon, which was opened by Dr. Zacharias in 

 1892. Here the work was entirely biological ; but in some other stations in 

 Germany it was to a great extent economic, as was the case also in Russia, where 

 it had direct connection with the fisheries. France had establishments of this 

 kind, and good work had been done in Italy, which as yet had no station. 

 America was well oft' in establishments where freshwater biological work could be 

 -carried on ; some were supported by the Government, and others were 

 connected with the various Universities. About 1896 the idea was discussed in 

 this country, and there was now a private station, belonging to Mr. Robert 

 Gurney, in the district of the Broads. The ideal of a freshwater biological 

 station was a place where systematic and connected work could be done, on lines 

 of its own, or supplementing that of the marine stations. 



A discussion took place, carried on by the Chairman, Mr. Barnard, Mr, 

 Wilfred M. Webb, F.L.S., and the Author. A cordial vote of thanks was 

 accorded to Mr. Scourfield for his very interesting and suggestive paper. 



Mr. Scourfield briefly replied, and the meeting ended. 



THE 234th ORDINARY MEETING. 



Saturday, November 2(ith^ 1904. 



The second meeting of the winter session was held in the Technical Institute, 

 Stratford, at 6.30 p.m., the President, Mr. F. W. Rudler, F.G.S., in the chair. 



Exhibits. — Mr. Cole exhibited some interesting specimens recently added to 

 the Museum. Among them was a fine specimen of the Cephalopod, Eledone 

 ■cirrosa, a dissection of Sepia officinalis, showing the internal organs, some 

 beautiful preparations of fishes, demonstrating the circulatory and neiTous 

 systems, and a series showing transformations of the common frog, prepared from 

 specimens bred up in the Museum. 



Azolla (!) in Hainhault Forest. — Also living specimens of an American 

 aquatic plant [Azolla pinnata) which had been found floating in great abundance 

 on the surface of a pond in Hainhault Forest. It must have been an " escape " 

 .from some neighbouring hot-house, or possibly the plant had been purposely 

 placed in the pond. It had e\*'idently found the water to its liking, as the 



