156 THE MICROSCOPICAL NEWS. 
committee to superintend the working of a Scottish zoological 
station ; but the station has been peripatetic and temporary, main- 
tained only during the summer months at different parts of the 
Scottish coast ; nevertheless it has done excellent work. British 
naturalists have been long convinced that both from a scientific 
and economical point of view it is high time that a permanent 
station on the model of that of Naples were established at some 
suitable point on the coast of England. The success of the recent 
Fisheries Exhibition has encouraged this prevalent feeling, and has 
led our leading scientific men to take definite steps to place England 
in this respect on a level with other countries. As we have already 
announced, a meeting will be held to-day in the rooms of the Royal 
Society to carry out this object. This will be accomplished by 
founding a society having for its purpose “the establishment and 
maintenance of a well-equipped laboratory at a suitable point on 
the English coast, similar to, if not quite so extensive as, Dr. 
Dohrn’s zoological station at Naples.” Among the supporters of 
the movement are the most influential naturalists in the kingdom, 
Professor Huxley, P.R.S., will preside, and others who have 
promised to be present are Professor Flower, Professor Moseley, 
Sir Lyon Playfair, Sir John Lubbock, Professor Michael Foster, 
Professor Ray Lankester, Dr. Giinther, Dr. W. B. Carpenter, Mr. 
Gwyn Jeffreys, Dr. P. L. Sclater, and Mr. W. S. Caine, M.P. (one 
of the Commission on Trawling), With such powerful support it 
seems to us that the object in view is sure to be accomplished. 
Both from an economical and scientific standpoint the utility, 
indeed the necessity, of such an establishment appears obvious. 
Already the Granton station has done good service to the Scottish 
fishermen ; but even if no ends were to be served by such a station 
except those of pure science, these in our estimation are so 
important as to justify the movement which has secured such 
influential support. The utility in its highest, and even in its 
lowest, sense of encouraging scientific research may now be taken 
as recognised in all civilised countries. All the most valuable 
“practical” discoveries have been made by men who were not 
seeking for them, but whose sole aim was to satisfy a noble 
inquisitiveness. Our Government recognises the necessity of 
encouraging science in its magnificent establishments at Blooms- 
bury and South Kensington, and in its subsidy of £5,000 a year 
to the Royal Society for purposes of research; and none but 
chronic grumblers would grudge another £1,000 a year to the 
support of the proposed station, which indeed may be regarded as 
an almost indispensable adjunct to the Natural History Depart- 
ment at South Kensington. The necessity for research in this 
direction was recognised at the final meeting of the Fisheries 
Exhibition Commissioners, when they voted 43,000 for the 
