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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVI. No. 404. 



tional opportunities for work here offered 

 in a varied and extensive shore fanna and 

 flora, in numerous accessible islands rich 

 in forms of peculiar interest, and in many 

 perfectly isolated fresh-water ponds, brack- 

 ish ponds, and salt-water ponds of easy con- 

 trol. These attractive features, together 

 with a climate suited to both winter and 

 summer work, certainly comprise the es- 

 sentials of a good location. 



A further consideration in favor of this 

 location is the fact that here for the first 

 time in this country the farm project was 

 definitely formulated; and, what is more 

 to the point, it is here that the first step in 

 the development of a farm has been taken, 

 and the work carried forward for some 

 sis years by individual endeavor. The 

 birthplace of an enterprise is not likely to 

 be a pure accident. In the present ease 

 it was certainly determined by the various 

 causes which have conspired to make 

 Wood's Holl a biological center. This 

 center has at least fifteen years of growth, 

 and every year makes it stronger and in- 

 creases its importance as a location for the 

 headquarters of a biological farm. 



The argument for location has already 

 suggested that the farm is not necessarily 

 limited to a single tract of land. It is 

 designed to supplement, and cooperate 

 with, a laboratory, and hence must have 

 its headquarters conveniently near. There 

 is no reason, however, for limiting its ter- 

 ritory to the ground selected for this pur- 

 pose. If, to take a familiar example, a 

 study of the terns were to be undertaken, 

 we should undoubtedly resort to Penikese, 

 taking advantage of the headquarters se- 

 lected by the birds. If we were to take up 

 some groups of migratory birds, we might 

 find it desirable to migrate with them, 

 changing our location to suit their summer 

 and winter predilections. For forms set- 

 tled in tropical regions, longer excursions 

 might be necessary, and this might lead to 



the development of a new farm. These 

 possibilities do not in the least confiict 

 with the plan proposed for Wood's Holl. 

 No matter where a farm be located, it must 

 have headquarters, and occasionally ex- 

 tend its field of work to more or less dis- 

 tant points of interest. 



The headquarters must be in close touch 

 with a laboratory, and both should be 

 in a place where the natural advantages 

 and the organization are such as to draw 

 a large number of investigators— most em- 

 phatically not in a place that invites a 

 large number of spectators, as in the pub- 

 lie parks of cities. In this latter respect 

 Wood's Holl is most perfectly adapted to 

 the purpose, and the prospect is good that 

 we shall never be troubled with throngs 

 of summer visitors. This is an ideal fea- 

 ture in the situation that it would be hard 

 to duplicate. 



The practical question arises as to how 

 to proceed with the development of a farm. 

 Our limited experience strongly confirms 

 the opinion with which we set out, namely, 

 that the best method is to develop the farm 

 slowly, section by section. Each section 

 should be a group of related species, se- 

 lected with a view to combining a wide 

 range of problems. It should be devel- 

 oped and directed by an investigator pre- 

 pared to make it his life-work. This in- 

 vestigator or director should have the 

 support of a number of assistants compe- 

 tent to deal with special problems, one or 

 two artists, a photographer, a keeper and 

 a business superintendent. 



Developed in this way, the cost of main- 

 tenance would not be heavy at first. Ten 

 thousand dollars a year would support a 

 large and thriving section. The multipli- 

 cation of sections and the gradual growth 

 of the work would call for a larger income. 

 A farm of ten large sections would require 

 an endowment of a million, and it is easy 

 to see room for many millions. 



