45 2 BIOLOGY AND ITS MAKERS 



in the form of soil-inoculation, in the tracing of the sources 

 of nitrates in the soil, and studies of the insects injurious to 

 vegetation; their further application to practical forestry, 

 and in sanitary sciences. This kind of research is also ap- 

 plied to the study of food-supply for fishes, as in the case of 

 Plankton studies. 



The Establishment and Maintenance of Biological Lab- 

 oratories. — The establishment of seaside biological observa- 

 tories and various other stations for research have had a great 

 influence on the development of biology. The most famous 

 biological station is that founded at Naples (Fig. 123) in 1872 

 by Anton Dohrn, and it is a gratification to biologists to 

 know that he still remains its director. This international 

 station for research has stimulated, and is at present stim- 

 ulating, the growth of biology by providing the best condi- 

 tions for carrying on researches and by the distribution of 

 material which has been put up at the seacoast by the most 

 skilled preservators. There are many stations modeled 

 after that at Naples. The Marine Biological Laboratory 

 at Woods Holl, Mass., is of especial prominence, and 

 the recently reorganized Wistar Institute of i\natomy at 

 Philadelphia is making a feature of the promotion of ana- 

 tomical researches, especially those connected with the anat- 

 omy of the nervous system. 



Laboratories similar to those at the seaside have been 

 established on several fresh-water lakes. The studies carried 

 on in those places of the complete biology of lakes, taking 

 into account the entire surroundings of organisms, are very 

 interesting and important. 



Under this general head should be mentioned stations 

 under the control of the Carnegie Institution, the various 

 scientific surveys under the Government, and the United States 

 Fish Commission, which carries on investigations in the bi- 

 ology of fishes as well as observations that affect their use 



