vi Univcrsihi of CaJifornia I'liblicalions in Zoology [Vol. 15 



the world's most renowned marine laboratory. Here the lines of 

 investigation are distinctly twofold. Like the policy of the "Woods 

 Hole Laboratory, that of the Naples Station facilitates research in the 

 widest .sense, and no eifort is made by the Station to influence the 

 lines of investigation of those who occvipy the "research tables." The 

 investigator is permitted to pursue any sort of research he chooses. 

 For example, a.morphologist may study the pituitary bod.y, hypophysis, 

 optic chiasma, auditory vesicles, etc., of a particular species of marine 

 fish because he believ&s that peculiarities in their structure will aid in 

 understanding the origin and evolution of homologous structures in all 

 vertebrates. His investigation, so far as concerns that particular 

 species of fish, is restricted to a dead brain. How and why the 

 peculiarities in structure are correlated in the living fish with other 

 peculiarities in structure, with peculiarities in function, and with 

 peculiarities in behavior, which all together make the fish the par- 

 ticular species of marine fish that it is, are questions which give no 

 direction to his research. In short, his investigation is one in the 

 general morphology of the brain or parts of the brain : a fresh-water 

 fish might serve his purpose equally well. Again, a physiologist may 

 study phosphorescence in Gonyaulax because he believes its unique 

 manifestation in this plant will aid in under.standing similar phe- 

 nomena in all phosphorescent organisms. The fact that the uniqueness, 

 which causes him to study the phenomenon in Gonyaulax rather than 

 in a fire-fly, is correlated with other unique functions, structures, and 

 behaviors which all together adapt this plant to a marine habitat has 

 no effect on his investigation. His problem is phosphorescence, and 

 the particular organism with which he deals is an incident only. 

 Finally, a cytologist may study chromosomal behavior during sperma- 

 togenesis and oogenesis in a ehaetognath because he believes that 

 certain oddities in the monoecious nature of the animal may so effect 

 this behavior as to aid in understanding chromo.somal behavior gener- 

 ally. Here, again, the fact that the monoecious nature of the animal 

 relates to an animal having structures, functions, and habits typical 

 only of ehaetognaths does not influence the investigation. The 

 cytologist is studying the general cytology of germ cells, and the par- 

 ticular organism dealt with is an unavoidable incident. Similarly 

 with respect to most other investigations. Interest is centered in the 

 general theoretical bearing of the structures and functions investi- 

 gated, and not in the organisms to which they pertain. In so far as 

 the Naples Station has occupied itself with studies of this type it has 



