372 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 688 



research done both in pathology and in 

 psychology at the laboratory, and it is 

 hoped that it will grow; the laboratory is 

 ready when the time is ripe to organize de- 

 partments in these subjects. 



The problems in the various departments 

 of biological research are so intricately in- 

 terrelated that each department is sure to 

 be of aid to others in many ways often 

 curious and unexpected. This is not a 

 matter for surprise. It only emphasizes 

 the necessity of the broadest organization 

 of our work if any subject is to march 

 forward with the least degree of impedi- 

 ment. 



Indeed, I question very much if the work 

 can logically be confined to the subject- 

 matter of biology. Our physiological 

 chemists are already urging a chemical 

 laboratory. This seems necessary for the 

 physiologist who has chemical problems, 

 and it may prove attractive to the chemist 

 who has biological problems. A depart- 

 ment of chemistry in connection with the 

 Marine Biological Laboratory would be of 

 distinct advantage to every other depart- 

 ment ; even the morphologist has his chem- 

 ical problems, particularly in connection 

 with the complex matter of stains. 



An institution organized in the manner 

 outlined is in a position to develop in 

 harmony with its environment, and should 

 be in little danger of outliving its useful- 

 ness, because it is national, representative 

 and plastic. It should thus represent at 

 any time the best traditions and methods 

 of research so long as it maintains the 

 fundamental forms of cooperation : its free 

 organization, its free cooperation with sci- 

 entific societies and men, and the free co- 

 operation of the biological sciences within 

 the conunon organization. If these are 

 maintained, it must inevitably keep pace 

 with the increasing subdivision of bio- 

 logical specialties and be ^ided by the 



community of ideas and problems in dif- 

 ferent fields. 



An important result of the cooperation 

 of biologists in the maintenance of the 

 Marine Biological Laboratory is the direc- 

 tion given to research. It is true, of 

 course, that every productive investigator 

 aids in giving direction to research ; he has 

 students and he has imitators. Where a 

 number of such investigators come together 

 for considerable periods of time and prob- 

 lems are discussed, there tend to be a 

 clearing of ideas and sharper definition of 

 problems. This effects a larger circle, and 

 the influence spreads. The best results of 

 this sort can be attained only if people dis- 

 cuss their work freely, and do not keep it 

 locked up until after publication. I be- 

 lieve that a considerable effect has been 

 thus produced in direction of research, par- 

 ticularly in cytology, experimental embry- 

 ology and physiology at the Marine Bio- 

 logical Laboratory. Organized efforts to 

 direct the research of others, excepting 

 one's own students, are apt to be futile, 

 especially on a large scale, and in a large 

 subject such as biology, where fundamental 

 problems are dimly perceived or perhaps 

 yet unsuspected. For this reason and 

 others even more important, the institution 

 has never prescribed or limited subjects of 

 research. 



I have spoken thus for the most part 

 about the work of the Marine Biological 

 Laboratory, because it illustrates in a prac- 

 tical working model various possible forms 

 of cooperation ; and because such a demon- 

 stration is worth much more than a merely 

 academic exposition of the nature and ad- 

 vantages of cooperation. 



Frank R. Lillie 



Especially when only a few minutes 

 can be devoted to a very large subject^ 

 definition of terms is of much importance. 



