January 3, 189G.] 



^OIENOM, 



17 



the history of the ]S"aples station, and liis 

 influence for good is so widely felt through- 

 out the working of the institution that to 

 speak of the success of the station is to 

 speak of the splendid results of the life- 

 work of one man. And all who have been 

 in Ifaples will, I think, agree with me, when 

 I add that to Professors Eisig and Meyer, 

 no small part of the success of the station 

 is also due. 



The station is situated in the beautiful 

 Villa Nationale, within a stone's throw of 

 the Bay of Ifaples. The building of stucco 

 and marble is in two parts joined by a 

 bridge. Within are several well conducted 

 departments^. First is the aquarium proper 

 on the ground floor of the larger building. 

 This is open to the public. You enter a 

 large square room with huge aquaria on 

 the sides. In the center are still other and 

 smaller aquaria. Each aquarium is built 

 into the wall, and all the light comes from 

 above, so that the observer standing within 

 the darkened room sees the animals as 

 though himself submerged amongst them. 

 The effect is indescribably beautiful. 



The aquaria are supplied with aerated, 

 ru.nning water, and it is interesting to note 

 that in winter when the turbid water of 

 the bay is unfit for use, the water in the 

 large reservoir in the station is used over 

 and over again, even for months at a time. 



A corps of fishermen is supported by 

 the station and brings in everj^ day fresh 

 material to supply the wants of the in- 

 vestigators and to restock the aquaria. 

 The other Neapolitan fishermen too have 

 learned the value of the rarer animals, and 

 a half-score of these interesting fellows are 

 generally present in the collecting depart- 

 ment bargaining, as only a Neapolitan can 

 bargain, for their fish. 



All of the Mediterranean forms of life are 

 prepared by the station, and sold at very 

 reasonable rates. Considering the skill re- 

 quired to preserve many of the delicate pe- 



lagic animals and the success of Sig. Lo 

 Bianco in this direction, it is not surprising 

 to learn that the Naples station supplies 

 material to many of the largest museums 

 and laboratories of the world. 



The chief aim and work of the station i? 

 original investigation, and the laboratories 

 are thoroughly equipped for this purpose. 

 There are large zoological and physiological 

 laboratories and a smaller botanical labora- 

 tory, and in addition a number of private 

 rooms for special research. Each worker 

 is fully equipped with the necessarj'- re- 

 agents and apparatus. Peppino is always 

 willing to add any special preservatives, 

 etc., should such be needed. Each worker 

 has a private aquarium for his own use. 

 Every day there is brought in to him a 

 fresh supply of animals. 



So rich is the fauna of the bay and so 

 well managed is the collecting department, 

 with its little steamer and other boats, that 

 you have only to make known your wants 

 and you are often embarassed by the quan- 

 tity of material that is brought to you. 

 Even within the last year the equipment 

 has been overhauled and greatly improved, 

 so that the station is now better prepared 

 than ever before to carry on its work. The 

 number of investigators who go every year 

 to the Naples station is the best guarantee 

 of the widespread appreciation of its advan- 

 tages. The library is excellent, and the 

 books are made very accessible to all the 

 workers in the station. In the arrange- 

 ment of the books it is a model of what a 

 library should be. Each investigator is al- 

 lowed to go to the shelves and get his own 

 books, leaving a card on the shelf in place 

 of the book removed. 



The laboratories are open day and night, 

 and the rooms are heated in winter. This 

 is by no means a small matter, for in winter 

 the station is often the only warm place in 

 Naples for wrecks together. 



The special advantages for work in Na- 



