14 THE SEAS 



tion of a series of marine stations in the majority of the 

 civilised countries, the work of which has been of the highest 

 importance and promises, in the future, to be even more 

 important. Expeditions are still necessary, we have still 

 a very great deal to learn about the great oceans, but in 

 the future they will extend and supplement the work of 

 the shore stations rather than, as in the past, be an end 

 in themselves. 



Among the first and certainly the most famous of these 

 stations was that founded at Naples in 1872 by a remark- 

 able German zoologist named Anton Dohrn. From the 

 Italian government he obtained a grant of land situated 

 in the Villa Nazionale, a beautiful park lying between the 

 town and the sea, where, with money from the German 

 government and from scientific societies in different parts 

 of the world, but very largely from his own private fortune, 

 he built the famous Stazione Zoologica (Plate 5). Since 

 twice extended, this now consists of three handsome 

 flat-roofed buildings of white stone surrounded by evergreen 

 oaks, palms, cacti and other samples of the beautiful 

 Mediterranean flora and commanding from its upper win- 

 dows a fine view of the wonderful panorama of the Bay of 

 Naples. All tourists to Naples will know it, for on the ground 

 floor is situated the far-famed Aquarium, one of the recog- 

 nized " sights " of the city where as nowhere else the visitor 

 can see something of the wonderful Mediterranean fauna 

 of the Bay of Naples. The water which circulates through 

 the aquarium tanks, and also the research laboratones on 

 the upper floors, is pumped up from the Bay, and allowed 

 to stand in huge storage tanks until the sediment has settled 

 to the bottom when the clear water above is drawn off. 



Scientists of all nationalities work here, " tables," of 

 which England has three, being rented by the year by 

 scientific institutions in different countries who have the 



