ON THE ZOOLOGICAL STATION AT NAPLES. 163 



the aquarium has gained both in beauty and utility, whilst the new system 

 upon which the glass plates have been fixed has proved so satisfactory 

 that not a single leakage has taken place. Observations upon the organ- 

 isms m situ are much facilitated, being now taken regularly, and tabu- 

 lated by one of the officials of the Station. 



In the Dredging Department the Station has received from Dr. Wm. 

 Siemens about 1000 metres of iron wire of special manufactiire, where- 

 with dredging can be carried on in much greater depths than formerly. 



Your Committee have pleasure in announcing that since the presenta- 

 tion of their last Report, Dr. Dohrn has himself set on foot a scheme for 

 the foundation of a travelling fund for the benefit of naturalists who may 

 occupy the English tables, and that a sum of money has been contributed 

 which may be applied to this purpose. Your Committee are therefore 

 now in a position to oSer a grant of money towards the travelling ex- 

 penses of any naturalist who may be selected to occupy the Association 

 table. 



It should also be mentioned that preparations are progressing for the 

 establishment of a small Zoological Station at Messina, as a dependency 

 of the one at Naples. Students who come to work at the latter place 

 will thus be enabled to find similar advantages at Messina, although on a 

 smaller scale ; whilst the fauna is even richer in pelagic animals than that 

 of Naples. 



For these additional advantages, several lessors of tables (Prussia, 

 Baden, Strasburg, and others) have already consented to raise their con- 

 tributions from 751. to 901. Your Committee would strongly advocate the 

 adoption of a similar course by the Council of the British Association ; 

 not only on this account, but also in recognition of the special advantages 

 afforded to occupiers of the English tables by the establishment of the 

 travelling fund above mentioned. 



Your Committee would, with these particulars before them, most 

 strongly urge the renewal of the grant as a worthy contribution towards 

 the advancement of science. 



Since the last Report the Association table has been occupied by Mr. 

 Arthur Wm. Waters, whose report will be found appended ; and also 

 various details, kindly furnished by the staff of the Zoological Station. 



I. Report on the Occupation of the Table, hy Mr. ArtMir Wm. Waters. 



The British Association granted me the use of their table at the 

 Naples Zoological Station for two months, from the beginning of November 

 last year; but, being in an unsatisfactory state of health, I soon found that 

 I was unable to stand the climate of Naples, and was forced to leave by 

 the middle of that month, and, consequently, have no report to furnish of 

 work cornpleted, but will indicate some of the points I hoped to be able 

 to investigate. 



Recently a good deal of attention has been paid to a tissue of the 

 Bryozoa, now called the endosarc, which at one time was looked upon as 

 a colonial nervous system ; but, thanks to the researches of Joliet and 

 others, we are able to see that the earlier views were quite incorrect, and 

 know that it plays a most important part in the economy of the colony, 

 a,lthough not as a nervous system, but in connection with the growth and 

 life of the various parts of the Bryozoon. The endosarc in one zooecium 



M 2 



