lo8 OPENING OF THE MAEINE 



it would continue to be so for years to come. No sooner 

 had the first start been made at tlie meeting in the rooms of 

 the Royal Society and the subscription list put forward, 

 than many other big societies came in and individuals 

 throughout the country put down their money. Including 

 the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, subscriptions had 

 been received from purely scientific bodies and individuals 

 to the amount of £3000, and from various sources a total 

 sum of £16,000 to £17,000 had been obtained. The most 

 important item of support given to the Association was the 

 grant from Her Majesty's Government of £5000 and £500 a 

 year. The remaining £10,000 they owed to the great civic 

 companies and to munificent individuals, among whom he 

 must not omit to mention with hearty gratitude their friends 

 Mr. John Bayly and Mr. Robert Bayly, of Plymouth. No 

 sooner had the enterprise been put on foot than H.R.H. the 

 Prince of Wales expressed his willingness to become a patron 

 of the institution, and support came in on every side. The 

 Inspector-General of Fortifications (Sir Aud'-ew Clarke) and 

 the Earl of Morley were instrumental — were, in fact, the actual 

 causes of their receiving the grant of the splendid site on 

 which the building had been erected, and the co-operation and 

 consent of the Town Council of Plymouth, who had certain 

 rights over the area, were cheerfully given. They had now 

 arrived at a definite stage in their work. The building was 

 completed, the laboratory was equipped, the naturalists were 

 on the spot, and they had thus, as he had said, accomplished 

 what he considered to be the first step in the work of the 

 Association. But it was only the first step. Beyond the mere 

 existence of the Laboratory building, they had still to justify 

 themselves in the eyes of their supporters by the work that 

 was done within it. He thought they might rely upon the 

 staff they had been fortunate enough to obtain. He had 

 the greatest confidence in the work that would be done in 

 the institution, and in the direction which would be given 

 to that work by his friend Mr. Gilbert Bourne, assisted by 

 the experience of his friend Mr. Cunningham, who had 

 come to them fresh from his work in Scotland, and students 

 of all ages and of all groups of marine animals would make 



