34 HISTORY OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE 



polyps. These researches were not published until after 

 their substantiation by foreign naturalists^ though they had 

 been discovered long before by Sir John ; and so he might 

 go on to show how large a proportion of the valuable work 

 which had given them new ideas of marine animal life 

 had been inaugurated in this country. He would especially 

 refer to an incident which took place at the first meeting 

 of the British Association at Southampton, to which Edward 

 Forbes brought an Amphioxus which he described in his 

 inimitably humorous way, pointing out how it was a verte- 

 brate animal without a vertebral column, how it belonged 

 to the red-blooded order and had white blood, and how its 

 pharynx was the pharynx of an Ascidian. They all now 

 looked upon the Amphioxus as the sole survivor of the 

 marvellous group which formed the link between the Yerte- 

 brata and the Invertebrata. These were the studies which 

 formed the life-blood of biological science, and considering 

 what had been done in this country previously it would now 

 be shameful if we were to allow ourselves to fall behind in 

 these inquiries. He knew Professor Agassiz' laboratory 

 at Newport and all the admirable laboratories sustained by 

 the John Hopkins University of Baltimore, and by the 

 biological station at Naples and other places, and in order 

 to persuade the Grovernment that such things as these were 

 really of national importance and deserving of national 

 encouragement, it was for all interested in biological 

 inquiry to do their very utmost to sustain an organiza- 

 tion which would show what evea one station well worked 

 could do. 



Sir John Lubbock, Bart., F.R.S., was glad to second the 

 resolution as President of the Liunean Society and as a 

 Trustee of the British Museum. A great deal more biolo- 

 gical work might be accomplished with some organized 

 assistance, such as that proposed in the foundation of a 

 well-equipped Laboratory. There were as good fish in the 

 sea as ever came out of it, and he thought there were many 

 interesting and good ones, from a scientific point of view, 

 that had never come out of it yet. He trusted that the 

 inauguration of this Society might be the means of supply- 



