18 HISTORY OF THE FOUNDATION OP THE 



most of wMcli Mr. Lloyd had sometliing to do. At tlie 

 Crystal Palace, Brighton, Birmingham, and elsewhere, 

 efforts were made to make these aquaria serve the purposes 

 of scientific research, and at the same time to keep them 

 open to the public as places of entertainment and some 

 little instruction. In some of them naturalists' rooms or 

 laboratories were established, and experiments and obser- 

 vations attempted with a view to adding to our scientific 

 knowledge of the creatures whose graceful movements the 

 public never tire of admiring. But the great essential of 

 all such institutions was and is that they should pay. They 

 were regarded by shareholders and managers as simply 

 forming part of their big show, not to be compared in 

 attractiveness to nigger minstrels. Lulu, or a Chinese 

 juggler, but still useful as a bait to catch certain classes of 

 the public. Naturally the views and aims of the manage- 

 ment and of the presiding naturalist clashed, and the latter 

 had either to adapt himself to the leading purpose of the 

 establishment or to resign. At all events, it finally became 

 evident to biologists that science could expect little help 

 from the ordinary aquarium, which was no more than a 

 handmaid to the amusement of the public. To accomplish 

 her noble purposes she must be mistress. We believe the 

 French were the first to recognise this important truth, 

 and to establish a station solely for the purpose of investi- 

 gating the habits, organisation, and surroundings of the 

 denizens of the ocean. Now they have quite a number of 

 such stations in operation — as, for instance, at Roscoff, 

 Concarneau, Villefranche, and Cette. The Austrian Govern- 

 ment maintains a similar station at Trieste, while in 

 America the John Hopkins University has one at Beau- 

 fort, and Professor Alexander Agassiz another at Newport. 

 The Dutch have for several years had a travelling labora- 

 tory erected during the summer months at different parts of 

 their coasts. But undoubtedly the finest institution of the 

 kind is that founded ten years ago at Naples by a German 

 biologist. Dr. Anton Dohrn, to the work of which we have 

 at various times referred in our columns. The Naples 

 station is indeed an international institution, for although 



