April 7, 1899.] 



SCIENCE. 



499 



terize the bodj' of water in question, and 

 tlie enumeration of species was regarded as 

 the ne plus ultra of many investigators. 



Like the spiritless systematic zoology, 

 which, in the work of many minor investi- 

 gators, followed upon the example set by 

 the great Linnaeus, so lacustrine investiga- 

 tors in considerable number, were appar- 

 ently satisfied to describe, as the results of 

 brief sojourns, the fauna of a lake or lake 

 regions, or, perhaps, even from a couple of 

 vials of material collected bj^ some rich 

 patron in the course of a journey around 

 the world, to discuss monographically the 

 fresh-water fiiuna of the Fiji Islands, for 

 instance. Under such circumstances there 

 could be no biological study. The chief 

 aim seemed to be to cover as much ground 

 as possible in a short time. And what Lau- 

 terborn said five years ago is even truer to- 

 day in the light of our more extended ex- 

 perience : " For the question as to the 

 distribution of organisms, the methods so 

 cherished even up to the present day of 

 fishing in tlie greatest possible number of 

 lakes (which recalls, in many respects, the 

 chase after new summits on the part of 

 our modern high climbers — Hoehtouristen !) , 

 really have only limited claim to scientific 

 value, since through them but a very incom- 

 plete picture of the fauna! character of a 

 water basin can be obtained." 



The earlier investigators whose work has 

 already been mentioned, Fritsch in Bohemia, 

 and Forel in Switzerland, had been pursu- 

 ing a single problem or investigating a lim- 

 ited locality for nearly twenty years, and 

 they were among the first to emphasize the 

 necessity of a modification of the prevalent 

 tendency, and of a more formal character 

 for lacustine work, if valuable scientific re- 

 sults were to be expected from it. Forel 

 was first to publish, in outline, a plan for the 

 precise formal investigation of a body of 

 water, in Avhich emphasis was laid upon the 

 necessity also of continuous and extended 



investigation, before satisfactory conclusions 

 could be hoped for. This programme has 

 suifered some modification in detail at the 

 hands of various students, but, in its general 

 features, remains the aim and desire of 

 workers everywhere. With the apprecia- 

 tion that such work must needs be formal, 

 continuous and extended, came naturally 

 the desire that stations of a permanent char- 

 acter should be established at various points 

 for the realization of the idea. And the 

 first of these that were founded were of a 

 general character, concerned with the bio- 

 logical investigation of water as a problem 

 of general scientific interest and importance. 

 But almost immediately other influences 

 made themselves felt which have led to the 

 extension of the general idea along particu- 

 lar lines of economic importance. Im- 

 proved methods of fish catching and larger 

 demands for fish food had brought various 

 countries to the point where the drain on 

 this kind of food supply was becoming very 

 evident. The fish were being destroyed 

 more rapidly than natural means could re- 

 store their numbers, and it was felt that 

 something must be done by governmental 

 agency to replenish the depleted waters. 

 The first expedient of collecting and keeping 

 under satisfactory conditions large numbers 

 of fish eggs until they should be hatched, 

 and the young fry distributed through the 

 waters, was not so successful as had been 

 hoped. The problem was too large to be 

 attacked in svich a superficial manner, and 

 the further knowledge, which it became 

 clear was absolutely necessary for proper 

 handling of the question, must needs be 

 sought through some means for the investi- 

 gation of the conditions and determination 

 of the steps necessary for the solution of 

 the problem, and for carrying into effect 

 the measures which might afford the de- 

 sired relief. This led, first in Europe, to be 

 sure, in connection with private enterprises 

 for fish culture, to the establishment of bio- 



