ON THE ZOOLOGICAL STATION AT NAPLES. 229 



Tables have been engaged by most of the Continental Governments, and 

 many of the most eminent living naturalists have availed themselves of its 

 advantages. 



Your Committee would most strongly urgo the desirability of renewing 

 the grant, as such an Institution necessarily requires annual support, as it is 

 in no way subsidized. 



(Signed) Peoe. Huxley, 

 P. L. Sclatee, 



E. Rat Laxkester, 

 Michael Foster, 



F. M. Baxfoue, 



A. G. Dew-Smith, Secretary. 



University of London, 

 Gran 

 August 11, 1877. 



Burlington Gardens, W. 



Deae Sie, 



As I attended in person last year both at the Sectional Committee and at 

 the Committee of Pecommondations, and made a verbal report of my ex- 

 periences at the Naples Zoological Station, on the strength of which the vote 

 was passed without any difficulty, I do not see what more I have now to say. 

 I found the arrangements entirely satisfactory ; every facility being given 

 in the supply of animals, the keeping them alive in special tanks, and tho 

 provision of apparatus, reagents, &c. for scientific investigation. And I 

 hope in the course of the next year, by means of tho information and 

 material I there obtained, to complete my Memoir on Antedon (Comatula). 



It seems to me that the continuance of the grant should rather be decided 

 by its results during the last year. 



I am sorry that I shall not be able to be at the Meeting of the British 

 Association at Plymouth, as I had intended. The depressed state of health 

 in which I am at present — partly depending on the severe bereavements I 

 have sustained, and partly on the excessive wear and tear of official duties — 

 makes it necessary for me to devote my vacation to bodily and mental re- 

 freshment. Yours sincerely, 



William B. Cakpenter. 



A. G. Deiv-Smith, Esq. 



Report by Mr. Francis M. Balfour, on the Zoological Station 



at Naples. 



In accordance with the Regulations of the Committee appointed to report 

 on the Zoological Station at Naples, I have the honour to lay before you the 

 following. 



I reached Naples on June 5th, and having given previous notice of my 

 intended arrival, found every thing prepared for mo. 



My objoct in going to Naples was to work out tho development of Amphloxus, 

 and also to complete my researches on the development and anatomy of 

 Elasmobranch fishes. An ample supply of Amphioxus was provided for mo 

 every morning ; and since with a fair supply of fresh sea-water those animals 

 live in a healthy condition, I had a continually increasing stock of them on 

 hand. For the most part I kept them in small aquaria, which were daily 

 examined to seo if ova had been deposited. A considerable number of 

 animals were also placed in one of the large tanks of the Aquarium, which 



