MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATIONS 139 



technically as a *' table," consists either of a small room or 

 of an alcove or a portion screened off from a larger room. 

 Such tables are rented at £100 a year, not to individuals, but 

 to states or universities or committees, and of the fifty-five 

 tables available before the war, about thirty-four were per- 

 manently engaged — thus bringing in a considerable annual 

 subsidy to the administration. Germany used to take some 

 ten of these tables, and Italy seven. There are, I beUeve, 

 three American tables — one belonging to the Women's 

 Association — and there are three English (rented by the 

 Universities of Cambridge and Oxford and the British Associa- 

 tion respectively), consequently there are generally about 

 half a dozen English and American biologists at work in the 

 station ; but the director always interpreted in a most 

 liberal spirit the rules as to the occupancy of a table, and, as a 

 matter of fact, during a visit I made in 1901 there were, 

 for a short time, no less than three of us on the books as 

 occupying simultaneously the British Association table, but 

 in reahty all provided with separate rooms. 



A work-table is then really a small laboratory fitted up 

 with all that is necessary for ordinary biological research, 

 and additional apparatus and reagents can be obtained as 

 required. The investigator is supposed to bring his own 

 microscope and dissecting instruments, but is supplied with 

 alcohols, acids, stains and other chemicals, glass dishes and 

 bottles of various kinds and sizes, drawing materials and 

 mounting reagents. Requisition forms are placed beside the 

 worker on which to notify his wishes in regard to material 

 and reagents ; he is visited at frequent intervals by members 

 of the scientific staff ; he has an attendant to look after his 

 room and help in other ways, and in fact all his reasonable 

 wants are suppHed in the most perfect manner. A scientific 

 man, or woman, then, wishing to do a special research at the 

 Naples station must be appointed to a particular table for a 

 definite time by his government, university, or the controlling 

 committee of that " table," and this is the system which has 



