NATURE 



25 



THURSDAY, MAY 8, I? 



A PLEA FOR A NATIONAL MARINE 

 ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY 



WHILST the influential meeting recently held at the 

 Royal Society, for the purpose of founding a 

 Society for the Biological Investigation of the British 

 Coast, is still in the minds of naturalists, the present 

 occasion is a fitting opportunity for the expression of 

 opinions respecting the scope and aims of such an under- 

 taking, as well as to suggest in what way zoological inves- 

 tigation in general may be more systematically directed 

 than has hitherto been the case in this country. 



The primary object of the newly-formed Society, as 

 indicated in the resolutions passed at the preliminary 

 meeting, is the establishment of a zoological station. 

 This of itself is an important step in the right direction ; 

 and though much will depend on the thorough organisa- 

 tion and efficient management of the station, the hearty 

 thanks of naturalists are already due to Prof. Ray 

 Lankester for the energy and perseverance with which he 

 has brought this desideratum within possible attainment. 

 The establishment of a zoological station, however, or 

 even of a number of stations at different parts of our sea- 

 board, is not the only thing wanted. Neither should the 

 maintenance of a single biological laboratory be the only 

 aim of such a Society as the one proposed. Indeed it 

 may be seriously questioned whether a Society is the 

 best, or even a necessary, piece of machinery for the 

 maintenance of a zoological station at all, excepting solely 

 as a subscribing body, and even in this capacity its 

 efficiency may prove inadequate. It is therefore to be 

 hoped that the new Society will realise that there are 

 broader and more extensive claims which zoology has a 

 right to make in a country so peculiarly placed as Britain. 

 Few will deny that, notwithstanding the impetus given 

 to the study of zoology during the last quarter of a cen- 

 tury by the theory of evolution and the revelations of 

 embryology, this branch of science appears in many re- 

 spects to have been more backward than several of the 

 kindred sister sciences in revising methods of investiga- 

 tion in accordance with the spirit of the age. Biology 

 and morphology have of course made advances whose 

 importance cannot be over-estimated ; but it would seem 

 that Zoology — in the wider sense — might well take a leaf 

 out of the book of her much younger sister, Geology. Years 

 ago, quite in the infancy of that science, national geology 

 was placed upon a systematic basis by the establishment 

 of the Geological Survey. The reason of that step is 

 perhaps not far to seek. It stood mainly upon utilitarian 

 grounds. The geologist was able to show that a know- 

 ledge of his science directly concerned the mineral wealth 

 of the country, and that he offered as as it were the key 

 to the then secret storehouses of coal, ores, and water, 

 which were unmistakable synonymous terms for national 

 wealth, advancement, and prosperity. It is quite unneces- 

 sary in the present place to do more than refer incident- 

 ally to the admirable manner in which the Geological 

 Survey has fulfilled, and is still fulfilling, the purpose of its 

 being. While constantly keeping in view the industrial 

 applications of geology, it has at the same time never lost 

 Vol. xxx. — No. 758 



sight of the strictly scientific problems which the geologi- 

 cal structure of the country presents in such abundance. 

 Its success in both these departments may well point the 

 argument that the zoologist has an equal share, and an 

 equal power to assist, in the nation's welfare, besides 

 possessing his own ample domain in science. 



The insular position of this country naturally causes 

 the sea fisheries and all that pertains thereto to be an 

 important factoi from a national and pecuniary point of 

 view. The food, the habitat, the cultivation, the develop- 

 ment, the enemies, a.id the diseases of fish all lie within the 

 province of the zoologist ; and it is to him alone that we 

 can come for information on these questions, whereon the 

 prosperity of our national fisheries depends, just as it is 

 to the geologist that we go for direction as to the acquire- 

 ment of the coal and ores that lie treasured beneath our 

 feet, or as to the sources and quality of the water required 

 for the supply of towns. On these grounds national 

 marine zoology may claim an equally systematic method 

 of investigation and an equal recognition as an important 

 handmaiden to national wealth. Patriotism, as well as 

 the desire for the advancement of human knowledge, would 

 therefore urge with all possible earnestness the establish- 

 ment of a national Marine Zoological and Physical Sur- 

 vey, whereby the fauna and the conditions of every portion 

 of our coast should be carefully investigated. Apart from 

 the unquestionable advantages that would thus be afforded 

 to our fisheries, it is not too much to promise that by this 

 means a greater amount of light would be thrown upon 

 the life-histories of marine organisms, upon the variations 

 of species, and the conditions upon which these depend, 

 together with the solution of a greater number of im- 

 portant zoological problems than we could otherwise ever 

 hope to attain. From a geological point of view, also, it 

 is most desirable to have a better knowledge of the de- 

 posits now forming around our coasts. Other countries 

 have already recognised these claims, and the fruition of 

 their foresight is too well known to naturalists to need 

 recapitulation here. 



Such a scheme as the present naturally demands 

 national encouragement and Government support. Many- 

 will of course say that the British Government is too much 

 hampered and proverbially backward in assisting scien- 

 tific projects to undertake what is here briefly indicated. 

 May not, however, the want of success in obtaining assist- 

 ance from Government be found to lie too frequently in 

 the imperfect and partial manner in which application is 

 made? Ministers and members of Government are too 

 frequently " asked " in a private, unofficial manner 

 whether support might probably be obtained for such-and- 

 such an object ; and should this happen to be one with 

 which they are little conversant, it is only natural that the 

 answer should frequently be unsatisfactory. 



The establishment of a systematic and permanent 

 Zoological Survey has, from its direct relation with a great 

 national source of wealth, apart from its equally important 

 scientific bearings, a logical claim which cannot be gain- 

 said ; and it is scarcely to be supposed that a properly 

 organised application would fail to be favourably received 

 by the Government. In the event, however, of the prayer 

 of such an application being rejected, the onus of neglect- 

 ing an important British industry would obviously then 

 rest on the shoulders of the Government : and scientific 



