22 PROCEKDIKCfS OF THE 



novelty, while in this meeting-room there will be, during the 

 course" of the evening, a few brief illustrated lecturettes or 

 demonstrations by Fellows of the Society. 



In my two previous Addresses I have dealt with the application 

 of biological knowledge, from the time of Linnaeus onwards, to au 

 economic problem of considerable importance — the production 

 naturally and artificially of precious pearls in shell-fish. It may 

 interest you to know that since I last spoke to you on the subject, 

 another highly successful fishery has been held on the Ceylon 

 pearl-banks, resulting in the capture of twenty-one millions of 

 Oysters which have sold for £70,000. After a barren period 

 of twelve years, during which these banks produced nothing, we 

 have had since 1902 a series of five most successful seasons — the 

 most profitable pearl-fisheries that, so far as is known, have ever 

 been held — yielding in all to their fortunate possessors nearly 

 half a million sterling, besides much benefit both direct and 

 indirect to the native populations of India and Ceylon. The 

 Government has taken what is probably, underall the circumstances, 

 a very wise step in leasing the fisheries for a period of years at a 

 fair rent on well-considered conditions of tenure. The banks are 

 now being cai-efully cultivated, under scientific direction, and may 

 confidently be expected, when they pass back into the hands of 

 the Government at the conclusion of the lease, to prove even a 

 more valuable property than they are at present. 



This is an example taken from one little corner of the vast 

 field of useful work in Applied Science open to the modern 

 biologist. I desire on the present occasion to deal briefly with a 

 wider question of far greater importance from both the scientific and 

 the administrative or economic points of view,— viz., the scientific 

 investigation of the oceans of the world, and primarily of our own 

 British coasts, in the interests of the sea-fisheries and other allied 

 industries. The more enlightened of our administi-ators, as well 

 as scientific men generally, are now becoming convinced of the 

 necessity of studying the forces and resources of Nature as a 

 means of subjugating the world to the human mind. The future 

 undoubtedly belongs to that nation or race which comes to 

 understand best the working of nature, and which can most 

 skilfully and economically apply that knowledge to the welfare 

 of man. 



Biology has been later than some of the inorganic sciences in 

 entering this field of practical applications to industry, and as yet 

 it has not been utilised to the same extent as, for example, 

 Chemistry or Electricity. But the extension and recognition of 

 the practical utility of our Science has of late been increasing 

 by leaps and bounds, and the outlook at present is most promising. 

 I need scarcely delay to remind you that Bacteriology and a great 

 part of modern Medicine and Surgery are essentially applications 

 of Biology. Cold storage, the canning trades, and many other 

 industries and processes are based upon biological principlea. 



