July 27, 1883.] 



SCIENCE. 



95 



passes them all in the inexhaustible wealth of 

 its resources, and in the many exceptional 

 advantages that naturally spring from its inter- 

 national character. 



Although no lectures or courses of instruc- 

 tion are provided for, an able staff of assistants 

 are constantly employed, whose aid and counsel 

 in all matters pertaining to methods of work 

 leave nothing to be desired. It is one of the 

 great advantages of work at the station, that 

 it gives one opportunities for the acquisition 

 of methods. An institution which pushes 

 research with such energy" and success will 

 natural!}- be prolific in the discovery of ways 

 and means. The station brings together a 

 body of zealous workers from the best labora- 

 tories of Europe, and thus, besides giving a 

 rare opportunity for the formation of valuable 

 acquaintances, direct interchange of thought, 

 and discussion of problems, opens another way 

 for the accumulation and refinement of meth- 

 ods. It is in this wa}' that it becomes a sort 

 of international depot for the reception of dis- 

 coveries and improvements made elsewhere. 

 The heterogeneous material thus obtained is 

 sifted, systematized, tested, further elaborated 

 and refined, and redistributed. The methods 

 of microscopical research published by Paul 

 Maj'er, and the well-known discoveries of 

 Giesbrecht, show that the station is doing 

 no less important work as an originator than 

 as an accumulator and a distributer of meth- 

 ods. 



Now, whoever knows the value of methods 

 — and we need not argue with those who do 

 not — will admit, that, in this particular, the 

 Naples station is unrivalled, and that, from 

 the nature of things, it will probably remain 

 so indefinitely. However successful we may 

 become in the development and application of 

 methods, we are not likely to see the time 

 when it will not be desirable to see, and to 

 know by experience, how work is done at 

 Naples. This one but all-important matter, 

 to say nothing of the manj- other advantages 

 that must accrue to an occupant of a table at 

 the station, — such as social intercourse, direct 

 knowledge of a very important fauna, and 



opportunities of acquiring a knowledge of the 

 four languages with which every naturalist must 

 now be familiar. — makes it very desirable, 

 particularly for our younger naturalists, to 

 spend some time at Naples. 



"One of the indispensable requisites to suc- 

 cessful work in natural history is an extensive 

 library ; and this is precisely one of the needs 

 most felt in seaside laboratories. As a rule, 

 naturalists are compelled to select a few of the 

 books which they conjecture will be useful to 

 them, and transport them to the place of study. 

 This method is, of course, very uusatisfiictory, 

 for reasons too obvious to be mentioned. The 

 Naples station has met this ditliculty b}- estab- 

 lishing a permanent library in an apartment 

 adjoining its laboratory". Already this library 

 has become one of the most complete biologi- 

 cal libraries in Europe, and forms one of the 

 chief attractions of the station. Its manage- 

 ment, we are happy to say, is the least con- 

 spicuous thing about it. Those accustomed 

 to depend upon public libraries, open only at 

 stated hours, approached only through officials, 

 and encumbered with rules, blanks, fines, etc., 

 have a pleasing sense of relief on finding the 

 doors of this rich library thrown open to them, 

 with the liberty of helping themselves at any 

 time to whatever hooks are desired, with no 

 further requirement than to place a card bear- 

 ing their name in the place of each book taken. 

 This simple device enables others who chance 

 to want the same books to know precisely 

 where to find them. 



The supply of material furnishes another 

 topic well worth consideration in this connec- 

 tion. It is the method of supply, rather than 

 its richness, which merits attention. An organ- 

 ized body of men is constantly employed for 

 this purpose ; and they make it their busi- 

 ness not onh' to know what material can be 

 obtained, but also when and wherq. These 

 men now work with all the advantages of long 

 experience and sj-stematic training. The 

 occupant of a table has only to announce 

 what object he wishes to study, and it is de- 

 livered alive at his table. In this way the 

 investigator is able to accomplish the largest 



