ON THE ZOOLOGICAL STATION AT NAPLES. 167 



Mr. Patrick Geddes worked at the Station from February 26 to April 4. 

 He ' repeated and extended certain observations on Echinoderm histology, 

 and made experiments on Bunellia viridis and Idotea viridis, with a view 

 of ascertaining the functions of their (supposed) chlorophyll.' The results 

 of these studies are at present beiug published in the ' Archives de Zoo- 

 logie Experimental ' of M. de Lacaze Duthiers, viz., ' Etudes sur le 

 Chlorophylle Animal ; ' ' Observations sur le Fluide Perivisceral des 

 Oursins.' 



Mr. Geddes also gained information on the working of the Station, in 

 the hope (now realised) of helping to found a Zoological Station in Scot- 

 land. This station is now in working order at Stonehaven. 



Mr. Arthur Wm. Waters, who worked at the Association table last 

 year, intends again to apply for the appointment to occupy it, with a view 

 of extending his researches on the Bryozoa of the Bay of Naples, already 

 published in the 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History,' 1879. 



Your Committee think that the above particulars are sufficiently en- 

 couraging to induce the Association to renew the grant of 751. for the 

 ensuing year. 



Report on the Occupation of the Table, by Mr. W. Percy Sladen. 



In conformity with the requirements of the Committee of the British 

 Association appointed in connection with the Zoological Station at Naples, 

 I beg to submit the following report concerning my occupancy of the 

 table which I had the privilege of using. 



In availing myself of the opportunity of working at Naples, the main 

 object which I had in view was that of studying the pre-mature stages of 

 the Echinodermata, and more especially the growth-phases which inter- 

 vene between the period when the pluteus is resorbed and that at which 

 the adult characters are developed — the range and significance of these 

 changes being very important and remarkable throughout the group. In 

 addition to this chief object, it is scarcely necessary to add that there were 

 numerous points in the morphology of Echinoderms upon which, as a 

 specialist, I was anxious to direct my attention, should time and oppor- 

 tunity permit. 



I arrived in Naples on December 3, 1878, and remained there until 

 February 17, 1879. During the greater portion of the time the weather 

 was very inclement and stormy ; in consequence of which the pelagic 

 larval forms that I had hoped to have met with, by use of the surface- net, 

 were driven to too great a depth, and owing to their microscopic propor- 

 tions became thus altogether inaccessible. For this reason I was greatly 

 disappointed in my expectations, and the material which I was able to 

 obtain, in any way available for my projected investigations, was unfortu- 

 nately very scanty ; nevertheless several pre-mature forms of considerable 

 interest were procured, and these I am hoping still further to elucidate, 

 before the end of the year, by finding if possible the corresponding and 

 intermediate stages on our own coasts, and which will then enable me to 

 work out the development of at least one or two forms completely. I also 

 endeavoured to contribute somewhat to this subject by means of the arti- 

 ficial fertilization of ova in several different families, but was always un- 

 successful in keeping the plutei alive beyond a certain stage ; whilst the 

 fact that those thus raised in confinement were subject to very consider- 

 able abnormality m their development and present unnatural modifications 

 which require much care and skill in elimination, in order to avoid error 



