September 1, 1911] 



SCIENCE 



267 



10, namely, Wandsworth (+ 34.3), Lewisham 

 (+26.2) and Fulham (+11.7). On the other 

 hand, sis show a decrease of more than 10 per 

 cent., namely. City of London ( — 27.0), Hol- 

 born (—16.9), Pinsbury (—13.3), City of 

 Westminster (— 12.4),St. Marylebone (—11.3) 

 and Chelsea ( — 10.1). Only one constituent 

 of London's " Outer Ring " actually decreased 

 in population, namely, the urban district of 

 Penge ( — 0.6). The population in the rural 

 part of the " Outer Ring " increased by 54,- 

 799, no less than 14,591 of this change being 

 credited to the rural parish of Mitcham. 



CSASLES OTIS WHITMAN^ 



The corporation and trustees of the Marine 

 Biological Laboratory record their great sor- 

 row and loss in the death, on December 8th 

 last, of Professor Charles Otis Whitman, for 

 twenty-one years director of the Marine Bio- 

 logical Laboratory and virtually its creator. 

 His connection with the laboratory began at 

 the time when it was first located at Woods 

 Hole and before it had achieved recognized 

 standing; with untiring energy and enthusi- 

 asm he strove to make it a national center for 

 research in every department of biology. 



" The great charm of a biological station," 

 he wrote, " must be the fullness with which it 

 represents the biological system. Its power 

 and efficiency diminish with every source of 

 light excluded." To zoology, which was the 

 only subject represented at first, he added bot- 

 any and physiology, and, so far as he was able, 

 made provision for all the newer fi.elds and 

 methods of biological investigation. But his 

 breadth of sympathy was associated with ex- 

 acting thoroughness. By his own careful and 

 critical work, as well as by his appreciation 

 of the fundamental problems of biology, he set 

 a high standard for the scientific work of the 

 laboratory. 



If the laboratory was to be truly national, 

 Professor Whitman believed that it must be 

 founded upon the cooperation of individuals 

 and institutions. He recognized the fact that 



'Eesolution prepared by Professor Edwin G. 

 Conklin, and adopted by the corporation of the 

 Marine Biological Laboratory on August 8, 1911. 



common ideals must form the basis of such co- 

 operation, and he sought to bring into close 

 connection with the laboratory every person 

 and institution that shared these ideals with 

 himself. By his kindness, sincerity, generos- 

 ity, and devotion to the laboratory, he called 

 forth similar qualities in others, so that it has 

 been peculiarly characteristic of Woods Hole 

 that a spirit of mutual cooperation and service 

 prevails. 



Finally, Professor Whitman stood for the 

 complete autonomy of the laboratory. Al- 

 though much needed aid might have been had 

 more than once from universities and institu- 

 tions by surrendering the independence of the 

 laboratory, he steadfastly and consistently re- 

 fused to do this, maintaining that the labora- 

 tory must be left free to grow and develop as 

 its own needs and the interests of science de- 

 mand, and that its government must remain 

 in the hands of those most interested in it. 

 Though there was formerly much difference of 

 opinion as to the expediency of this stand, we 

 are now all agreed as to Professor Whitman's 

 foresight and wisdom in this matter. 



Catholicity, cooperation, independence — 

 these are the ideals which Professor Whitman 

 succeeded in making part and parcel of the 

 Marine Biological Laboratory and which we 

 count among our most cherished possessions. 



Professor Whitman was the founder and for 

 many years the editor of the Journal of 

 Morphology; he founded the Biological Bul- 

 letin and the annual volume of Lectures from 

 the Marine Biological Laboratory. He was at 

 one time director of the Lake Laboratory, one 

 of the first research institutions in this coun- 

 try. He rendered eminent service in universi- 

 ties of this and other lands. He contributed 

 to the advance of science by research work of 

 fundamental importance. Biology owes much 

 to his high ideals, his generous enthusiasm, 

 his rigorous criticism, but most of all to the 

 enterprise which always lay nearest his heart 

 — the Marine Biological Laboratory. Here, if 

 it had been possible, he would gladly have 

 spent his life; to this place his thoughts re- 

 turned with longing after every absence; to 

 this place friends bore his body and laid it to 



