SEPTEMBER 24, 1897. ] 
Among other notable features of the 
meeting were a joint discussion, together 
with the zoologists, on the Cell; a public 
lecture on Fossil Plants by Mr. A. C. Sew- 
ard, who, since the death of Williamson, 
has been recognized as the leading paleo- 
botanist in Great Britain; and joint action 
with the Sections of Zoology and Physiology 
for the establishment of a biological station 
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. While it is 
intended that such a station shall be pri- 
marily designed for economic ends in con- 
nection with the fisheries, it is hoped that 
opportunities may be offered for a limited 
number of students to pursue special inves- 
tigations relative to both animal and plant 
life, and thus to supplement the work of 
larger stations, such as that at Woods Holl. 
The special interest of the Section cen- 
tered in the presidential address, which 
dealt in a very masterly manner with the 
progress of botanical science during the 
latter half of the Victorian reign. The 
address was a very noteworthy one from 
several points of view, though chiefly as 
an important historical summary. While 
it would be difficult and altogether unsatis- 
factory to attempt an abstract of a paper 
so rich in facts, it may be pointed out that 
it gave the strongest evidence to show the 
great dependence of important commercial 
undertakings and economic processes upon 
data derived from modern scientific botany, 
as also the very close relations which exist 
between chemistry and botany as now 
known. The address will form a useful 
key to a much wider literature, and de- 
serves the careful perusal of the specialist 
as well as the general morphologist. 
ID) PhP: 
MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. 
A STATEMENT TO THE CORPORATION FROM 
THE TRUSTEES. 
THE annual meetings of the Corporation 
will hereafter be held at Woods Holl in 
SCIENCE. 
AT5 
August instead of at Boston in November, 
and absent members can now vote by proxy. 
The Board of Trustees has been enlarged to 
twenty-seven members, and the new Board, 
it is believed, fairly represents nearly all 
sections of this country and Canada. The 
closer cooperation of all institutions of 
learning is actively encouraged. 
These changes will make possible the at- 
tendance of a large number of members, at 
annual and special meetings, who have 
been unable to reach Boston during the 
month of November, and there are already 
signs of increasing interest in the institu- 
tion over a-much wider area. The mem- 
bers will be glad to learn that, at the re- 
cent meeting of the British Association in 
Toronto, Dr. Dohrn, head of the unrivalled 
station at Naples, took occasion to speak as 
from personal knowledge in terms of warm 
commendation of the work at Woods Holl. 
The past summer has been highly satisfac- 
tory; but the Trustees have been hampered 
by lack of funds for needed repairs and re- 
newals, and, to some extent, for current ex- 
peuses. At least $1,000 should be raised 
before resuming work next summer, and 
there remains a debt of about $4,700 incur- 
red for the erection of new buildings. This 
debt should be cancelled in order that a 
clear balance sheet may be shown before 
undertaking several most desirable exten- 
sions of the plant, some of which are ur- 
gently needed. Salaries should be increased, 
and greater inducements offered to the 
strong corps of instructors and workers 
whose collaboration has enabled the insti- 
tution to attain its present position in the 
scientific world. Moreover, there is no as- 
surance of permanence in an institution of 
this nature until it shall have acquired a 
sufficient endowment or maintenance fund, 
independent of its land, buildings and 
equipment (which now represent an invest- 
ment of over $33,000), to relieve it from 
danger of extinction by one or more sea- 
