MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. 21 



the final meeting of the Fisheries Exhibition Commis- 

 sionerSj when they voted £3000 for the formation of a 

 Eoyal Fisheries Society. They have still £2000 in reserve, 

 and as the exhibition was as much scientific as economic it 

 seems only natural that part of this should find its way to 

 help in the construction of a station whose sole purpose 

 would be the investigation of the habits and organisation 

 of the fishes of our British waters. On every side we are 

 told that something must be done for the improvement of 

 our fisheries ; science has done so much in recent years to 

 improve every other department of industry that, in our 

 opinion, it is quite worth while asking her to do some- 

 thing for a department which is of growing economical 

 importance. She must, however, be allowed to do it in her 

 own way, and the names of those who are to take part in. 

 the meeting of to-day are a sufficient guarantee that any 

 funds with which the future society will be entrusted will 

 not be abused. The movement is one which certainly 

 deserves public support and the countenance of the Govern- 

 ment. 



It is intended to erect the proposed Laboratoiy at a point 

 as rich as possible in respect of its marine Fauna, and at 

 the same time in proximity to important fishing grounds. 

 No locality, we are told, has yet been decided, but both 

 Torquay and Weymouth have been suggested as present- 

 ing the desired combination. There can be little doubt 

 that Monday's meeting will be the first step to the accom- 

 plishment of the great object in view, in the near future. 



The meeting was duly held in the afternoon of March 

 31st, 1884, in the Rooms of the Royal Society, and the 

 report of it, which has been reprinted in the following 

 pages, was largely circulated. 



