directoe's report. 221 



Arrangements have been made by which Mr. Garstang will conduct 

 courses of study in Marine Biology, at the Laboratory, during the 

 Easter Vacation. A special room will be fitted up for the accommoda- 

 tion of students joining this class, and it is hoped that a sufficient 

 number will take advantage of the arrangement, to encourage the 

 formation of such classes in the future. Mr. A. H. Church, of Jesus 

 College, Oxford, is also prepared to conduct a similar class in marine 

 botany. 



Before closing this report, I should like to take the opportunity 

 of drawing attention to some facts regarding the general position of the 

 Association, and its work at the present time. As any further develop- 

 ment of our activity depends so largely upon questions of finance, it 

 will be well if these are considered first, and in doing this it is 

 necessary to distinguish between the maintenance of the Plymouth 

 Laboratory, and the work carried on there, and the expenses of the 

 investigations into the North Sea Fisheries, which have been so success- 

 fully prosecuted on the east coast. The latter have been supported 

 almost entirely by special donations, given from time to time by Mr. 

 J. P. Thomasson, and by the Drapers' and Fishmongers' Companies, 

 and although there is no immediate prospect of funds being forthcoming 

 for their continuation, it is to be hoped that they may not be allowed 

 to lapse for that reason. 



Leaving these special investigations out of consideration, the annual 

 income of the Association from all sources, amounts to £1,950, and the 

 estimated expenditure for the general conduct of business, and the 

 maintenance of the Plymouth Laboratory on its present footing, is 

 £1,800, which leaves a balance of £150. 



The want at Plymouth, which must be put before all others, is that 

 of a suitable boat. Experience goes more and more to show that the 

 amount of energy wasted, and the limitation put upon our investiga- 

 tions through this want, is exceedingly great. I do not hesitate to say 

 that the effective work of the Association could be increased by, at 

 least, fifty per cent., if a suitable small steamer were in our possession. 

 Instead of confining our collecting to within five or six miles of 

 Plymouth Sound, the whole western half of the English Channel, 

 including the Channel Islands, would become our field of operations ; 

 whilst the fishery investigations, which we are attempting, could be 

 done more completely, and with far less expenditure of time and serious 

 inconvenience, and others, which are now quite beyond our power, 

 could be undertaken by the present staff. Our income would be 

 sufficient to maintain a boat large enough for our purpose, if only the 

 funds were available to procure her. 



When this question has once been satisfactorily settled, we may, I 



