22 HISTORY OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE 



Report of the Foundation Meeting of the 

 Marine Biological Association. 



Professor Huxley, President of the Royal Society, wlio 

 presided, in opening the proceedings, said : A great number 

 of gentlemen who would have been glad to be present in 

 support of the object of the meeting have been unable to 

 appear. The Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain, M.P., has 

 written a letter cordially approving of the objects of the 

 Society, and hoping it will be strongly supported. Mr. 

 Burdett-Coutts, who has taken a very great interest in 

 the Fisheries Exhibition, expresses his warm approval of 

 the scheme, and offers a handsome subscription. Mr. Duff, 

 M.P., who is greatly interested in sea fisheries, and the 

 Marquis of Hamilton, one of the most active members of 

 the Fisheries Exhibition Commission, also write to express 

 their regret at being detained by business so that they 

 cannot be here to-day. There are also letters from Lord 

 Derby, from Sir Thomas Dakin (Prime Warden of the 

 Fishmongers' Company), and from Dr. Dohrn, of Naples, 

 who has carried out a similar scheme to that which this 

 meeting has in view, viz. the celebrated Zoological Station 

 of Naples. Dr. Dohrn speaks of the project with warm 

 approval. Admiral Sir Erasmus Ommaney and Dr. Acland, 

 of Oxford, write to express their regret at being absent, 

 the movement being one in which they take great interest. 

 In suppoi-tiug what I understand to be the object of the 

 proposal before us, which I may say is not in my hands, but 

 chiefly in those of Professor Lankester, I simply express 

 the interest in it which biologists feel, and the desire of 

 the Royal Society to foster the new undertaking, which 

 appears to promise well for the good of science. The 

 establishment of laboratories for observation of the Fauna 

 and Flora of the sea has now taken place in most civilized 



