LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON, 3 1 



speculations as to the fisli-population of the sea, and even as to 

 the amounts of food-matters present in the waters of large areas, 

 is obvious. Nothing in the economics of the sea could be more 

 important than such speculations in regard to what I have 

 proposed should be called the " hylokinesis " * of the ocean, if we 

 could be certain that our conclusions are correct, or even that 

 thev are reasonably close approximations. 



it is possible to obtain a great deal of interesting information 

 in regard to the hylokinesis of the sea without attempting a 

 numerical accuracy which is not yet attainable. The details of 

 measurement of catches and of computation of organisms become 

 useless and the exact figures are non-significant, if the liauls from 

 which they are derived are not really comparable with one another 

 and the samples obtained are not adequately representative of 

 nature. If the stations are so far apart and the dates are so 

 distant that the samples represent little more than themselves, 

 if the observations are liable to be affected by any accidental factor 

 ■which does not apply to the entire area, then the results may be 

 so erroneous as to be useless — or worse than useless, since they 

 may lead to deceptive conclusions. 



If the biologist then has great opportunities in the application 

 of his science to important human industries, he has also gi'ave 

 responsibilities. 



In pure science, erroneous conclusions are of comparatively 

 little moment. They are evanescent, and it has been argued that 

 they may even be useful in stimulating further research which 

 will inevitably lead to their overthrow. Charles Darwin has said 

 of false views they " do little harm, for everyone takes a salutary 

 pleasure in proving their falseness ; and when this is done, one 

 path towards error is closed, and the road to truth is often at the 

 same time opened." t 



But 1 would submit that it is very different in the case of 

 conclusions that may be applied to industries. In such cases we 

 have no certainty that the conclusions will be received with 

 scientific caution and made the subject of further investigation. 

 They may be taken blindly and may be applied wrongly without 

 being exposed to scientific criticism. It is necessary then for the 

 scientific man who deals in practical applications to be doubly 

 careful. Much may depend upon the results of his work. Private 

 enterprise, public opinion, local regulations, and even imperial 

 legislation may all be affected by his decisions. He must not 

 lightly come to conclusions upon weighty matters. Of all the 

 varied lines of research in modern biology, none present problems 

 more intricate than some of those connected with our fisheries — 

 none are more interesting and none more important in their 

 bearing upon the welfare of mankind. 



* In place of " metabolism " which is an inappropriate term (see Trans. 

 Biol. See. Liverpool, vol. xxi. p. 19). 



t ' Descent of Man,' 2nd edit, 1882, p. 606. 



