1 1 1 Anniversary Meeting. [Dec. 1, 



The work of the Association is as yet in the inceptive stage, but a 

 site well adapted for a marine observatory will, through the liberal 

 endeavours of the Mayor and Corporation of Plymouth, probably be 

 secured in that town ; some citizens of which have also promised a 

 noble donation of 1,0001. towards its erection. The Cloth workers' 

 Company has contributed 500Z., and the Mercers' Company 250 guineas, 

 while the Council of this Society has also shown its sympathy with 

 the movement by a grant of 250Z., and the British Association bv one 

 of 150Z. Handsome donations have also been made by private indi- 

 viduals, and the number of members of the Association is gradually 

 increasing. When once the station is completed and at work, and its 

 aims and operations become better known, I make little doubt that it 

 will receive a much larger share of public support. But before the 

 station can be erected and in work, it is calculated that an outlay of 

 10,000?. is necessary for its building and equipment, of which as yet 

 not quite half is forthcoming, and I venture to take this opportunity 

 of enforcing the claims of the Association upon all who are inte- 

 rested in "improving natural knowledge." As has already been well 

 pointed out in the memorandum issued by the Association, " great 

 " scientific and practical results have been obtained in other countries, 

 " notably in the United States of America, in Germany, France, and 

 " Italy, by studies carried on through such laboratories as the Marine 

 " Biological Association proposes to erect in this country," and I may 

 add as that already at work at Granton. When we consider the 

 enormous importance of our fisheries, and how large may be the 

 amount of material benefit derived from a scientific investigation of 

 the causes of their increase and diminution, it will, I think, be evident 

 that the work to be carried on at these stations is not only for such a 

 purpose as the development of abstract biological science, important 

 as that may be, but for the advancement of our national resources. It 

 ia, therefore, to be hoped that in addition to the private support which 

 they will receive, they may in some manner be recognised by the 

 nation at large as centres for carrying out systematic investigations 

 into the circumstances determining marine life, from which a portion 

 of our food supply is drawn, and a much larger portion might probably 

 be derived. The importance of our sea fisheries, which it will be one 

 of the principal objects of the Association to promote, has of late 

 years been more fully recognised, and the recent International 

 Fisheries Exhibition has done much to popularise the subject; while 

 the official appointment of our President also proves that in the 

 opinion of our Government the scientific aspects of our fisheries are 

 not to be neglected. 



In the last Presidential Address reference was made to the great 

 desirability of carrying out, on the part of this country, investi- 

 gations into the nature of cholera in continuation and extension of 



