;5o 



NA TURE 



^August 7, 1884 



Fund, the Minister should be authorised to require from them an 

 annual report in such form as he may 1 



Your Committee have not taken any evidence as to reforma- 

 tory and industrial schools, considering that these have so re- 

 cently formed the subject of an inquiry by a Royal Commission, 

 the report and recommendations of which are before Parliament. 

 They see no reason for altering the present responsibility for 

 workhouse schools or for the primary schools connected with the 

 Army, the Navy, or the Marines. The responsibility for the 

 administration of the votes for military and naval colleges do not 

 appear to come within the reference to your Committee. 



Your Committee see no reason to disturb the existing arrange- 

 ments as to the supervision of the Science and Art Department. 



There are various miscellaneous votes for science and art, 

 such as those for scientific re ibuted through the 



Royal Society, vo teorology, and votes in aid of the 



Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Irish Academy. 

 These votes, your Committee think, should be moved by the 

 Minister of Education, and reports, when necessary, should be 

 made to him. 



Your Committee do not propose to bring the British Museum 

 and the National Gallery into closer relations with Her Majesty's 

 Government than those now existing, with this exception, that. 

 in their opinion, the Minister of Education and the Parliamentary 

 Secretary should be ex officio trustees of each of those institu- 

 tions. The President of the Council, your Committee notice, 

 is now an ex officio trustee of (lie British Museum. The House 

 of Commons would then look to the Education Department for 

 explanations when the votes for the British Museum and the 

 National Gallery are discussed in Committee of Supply. 



The Committee, of which the Chancellor of the Exchequer 

 was chairman, included, among other members, Sir J. Lubbock, 

 Mr. Sah. Mr. Raikes, Sir L. Playfair, Mr. S. Morley, Mr. Pell, 

 Mr. Sclater-Booth, and Mr. J. Collings. 



THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 



T > HE Council of the Marine Biological Association adopted 

 the following statements at its meeting held on July 25 

 last :— 



Memorandum No. I. 



The Marine Biological Association was founded in March, 

 18S4, at a meeting held in the apartments of the Royal Society 

 of London, Prof. Huxley, P. R.S., in the chair. Its officers and 

 council include the leading naturalists of the country, as well as 

 noblemen and others who took an active part in the late Fisheries 

 Exhibition. II.R.II. the Prince of Wales has consented to be 

 Patron of the Association, and lias given evidence of the import- 

 ance which he attaches to the success of its objects by contri- 

 buting a handsome donation to its funds. The following is a 

 list of the Executive of the Association : — 



at : Prof. Huxley (President of the Royal Society). 



Vice-Presidents: The Duke of Argyll, K.G. ; the Duke of 

 Sutherland, K.G. ; the Marquis of Hamilton ; the EarlofDal- 

 housie, K.T. ; Lord Walsingham (Trustee of the British Museum 

 of Natural History) ; Prof. Allmann, F.R.S. ; Sir John St. 

 Aubyn, Bart., M.P. ; Edward Birkbeck, M.P. (Cha'irman of 

 the Executive Committee of the International Fisheries Exhi- 

 bition) ; George Busk, E.R.S. ; W. B. Carpenter, C.B., M.D., 

 F.R.S. ; W. H. Flower (Director of the British Museum of 

 Natural History) ; J. Gwyn Jeffreys, F.R.S. ; Sir John Lubbock, 

 Bart., M.P. (President of the Linnean Society). 



Council: Prof. Moseley, F.R.S. (Oxford), Chairman: C. 

 Spence Bate, F.R.S. (Plymouth); Prof. Jeffrey Bell, F.Z.S. 

 (British Museum) ; W. S. Caine, M.P. ; W. T. Thiselton Dyer, 

 C.M.G., F.R.S. (Royal Gardens, Kew) ; John Evans, D.C.L. 

 (Treasurer, R.S.) ; A. C. L. G. Gunther, F.R.S. (British 

 Museum) ; Prof. Ilerdman (Liverpool) ; E. W. H. Holdsworth ; 

 Prof. Mcintosh (St. Andrew' I; Prof. Milnes Marshall (Man- 

 chester); Sir Philip Cunliffe Owen, K.C.M.G., C.B. ; G. J. 

 Romanes, F.R.S. (Secretary of the Linnean Society) ; P. L. 

 Sclater, F.R.S. (Secretary of the Zoological Society) ; Adam 

 Sedgwick (Cambridge). 



Hon. Treasurer : Frank Crisp (Vice-President and Treasurer 

 of the Linnean Society), 6, Old Jewry, EX. 



Hon. Secretary: Prof. E. Ray Lankester, F.R.S., 11, Wel- 

 lington Mansions, North Bank, N.W. . 



The object of the Association is to erect one or more labora- 

 ories on the coast of the United Kingdom, where studies may 



ti i on by naturalists, leading to an improvement in 

 zoological and botanical science, and especially to an adequa 

 acquaintance with the food, habits, spawning, and propagation 

 of our marine food-fishes and shell-fish. 



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 pi 

 erect in this country. The knowledge which can be thus and 

 thus only gained is precisely that knowledge which i- i 

 urgently needed in order to regulate and improve Bi 

 Fisheries, and it therefore seems to be not inappropriate that 

 public bodies as well as individuals interested in the pro 

 natural history science should take in hand the promotion of the 

 fust attempt to institute an efficient sea-coast laboratory in these 

 islands. 



It is estimated by the Council that a sum of 10,000/. will be 

 required to build and equip an efficient laboratory, and to insure 

 a successful start for the Association. This sum does not include 

 any payment to the naturalists who may conduct the operations 

 of the laboratory, since in the fust instance, at any 1 

 services will lie rendered gratuitously. The money which is now 

 asked for will be expended entirely upon the labora 

 nent, and necessary service. 

 As the result of an appeal to scientific men and their imme- 

 diate friends the Association has raised a sum of about 2000/. 

 In order to obtain the rest of the money which is required it i« 

 iv to appeal to a wider circle. 

 The Council of the Association feel that they have undertaken 

 national importance, and therefore confidently appeal 

 who have pecuniary resources at their disposal to give 

 them substantial aid in its realisation. 



According to the bye-laws of the Association adopted at a 



meeting of members on June 17. 1SS4, donors of 500/. to the 



;i become governors and permanent members of the 



Council of the Association. The Council hope that they may 



me contributions of this amount x>r of larger sum-, ami 



mid Igest that it might be found convenient by those who 



may intend to assign sums of large amount to the Association to 



do so in the form of a payment of so much a ye 



term of years. 



The donor of 100.'. to the Association becomes a " Founder " 

 and life- member. An annual subscription of 1' If., or a com- 

 position fee of 15/. 151., is required of ordinary members. 

 Members of the Association have the right to take part in the 

 government of the Association by electing the Officers anil 

 Council at their annual meeting : they will receive the printed 

 Association, and enjoy special privileges in the use 

 of the laboratory and its resources. 



It is intended to require an entrance fee of 5/. $s. from m :m- 

 bers who join the Association later than June, 1SS5. 



Signed (on behalf of the Council of the Marine Biological 

 i ition), 



II. N. Moseley, M.A., F.R.S., 

 Chairman of the Council, 

 Linacre Professoi "1 Anatomyin the Universityof ' ' 

 July 25, 1SS4 



Memorandum No. II. — Nature of Ike Building, Ma 

 and Work of lite Proposed Marine Laboratory and 

 menial Aquarium. — The Council of the Marine B 

 Association cannol as yet definitely pledge itself as to details, 

 bul the following i- a sketch of the natureof the building which 

 to erect, of the probable management of the Labora- 

 tory, and of the kind of work which may be expected to be 

 acc> implxshed by its aid. 



The most complete institution of the kin 1 is that at Naples, 

 which is supported by contributions from various European 

 State-., and is especially subsidised by the German Imperial 

 Government. The buildings, fittings, and boats belonging to 

 this institution have cost 20,000/. It is proposed to start such 

 an institution in this country with half this sum. 



1. Building. — The first laboratory of the Marine Biological 

 A 01 iv Mil will probably be erected on the shore of Plymouth 

 Sound. Plymouth is not only by its natural features one of the 

 ible localities for the purpose, but a Committee of the 

 Town Council has offered to the Association a suitable site free 

 of cost and a contribution of 1000/. 



With regard to the building, the Council of the Marine Bio- 

 logical Association contemplate erecting a solid brick structure 



