1915] Recent Advances in Oceanography 331 



WEEKLY EYENmO MEETING, 

 Friday, February 12, 1915. 



Donald ^Y. C. Hood, C.Y.O. M.D. F.R.C.P., 



Yice-President, in the Chair. 



William S. Bruce, LL.D., F.R.S.E., Director of the Scottish 

 Ocean ographical Laboratory, Edinburgh. 



Recent Advances in Oceanography. 



Dr. Bruce pointed out that the science of oceanography began with 

 those tentative expeditions that led to the dispatch of the " Challenger,"^ 

 and that the lamentable death of Sir John Murray, followed closely 

 by that of Sir George Nares, together with the tragedy of the 

 European war, marked the end of the first era in the History of 

 Oceanography. 



Defining oceanography as the detailed study of the oceans, both 

 biological and physical, he proceeded to recall some of the earliest 

 investigations that had been made in deep seas, Commodore Phipps 

 sounding in 780 fathoms in 1773, Sir John Ross in even greater 

 depths, and Sir James Ross sounding in 2425 fathoms. Both Rosses 

 also succeeded in securing animals from great depths. The early 

 work of Edward Forbes in 1840, Gwyn Jeffreys, Wyville Thomson, 

 Carpenter, and Sars was briefly referred to, and more especially the 

 work of the "Lightning" and "Porcupine" in 1869, and of the 

 " Challenger " in 1874. Dr. Bruce made special reference to the 

 Prince of Monaco's researches, and to the part that Mr. J. Y. 

 Buchanan, Dr. Jules Richard, and others had taken in them. 



Having considered the work of other oceanographical expeditions. 

 Dr. Bruce referred to the establishment of Marine Biological Labora- 

 tories and Fishery Bureaux in Europe and Britain. Scotland led the 

 way in the development of Marine Biological Stations by the establish- 

 ment of two stations in 1884, namely, those of St. Andrews and 

 Granton, and next year those of Tarbert and Millport. England 

 followed, dedicating the Laboratory at Plymouth in 1887. Sir John 

 Murray was the leading spirit in all those movements. 



Having given a general account of the Marine Biological 

 Stations, which Dr. Bruce showed were established on the principle 

 of doing local marine research, he spoke eulogistically of the magnifi- 

 cent Oceanographical Institute established by the Prince of Monaco 

 at Monaco and Paris for world Oceanography, and classed it as th 

 most important Institute of its kind in the world. He also briefly 



