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SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXI. No. 541 



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REPORT ON THE MEMORIAL PRESENTED TO THE SMITH- 

 SONIAN INSTITUTION REGARDING AN AMERICAN 

 TABLE AT THE NAPLES ZOOLOGICAL STATION.' 



To the Biologists of the United States: I have the honor to 

 submit the following report on the Memorial which was circulated 

 last winter, petitioning the Smithsonian Institution to support a 

 table at the Naples Station. 



Thirteen copies of the Memorial were sent out. Twelve of 

 these, bearing the signatures of nearly two hundred working 

 biologists, representing about eighty universities, colleges, and 

 scientific institutions, were returned to me, and were presented in 

 person to Professor S. P. Langley, secretary of the Smithsonian 

 Institution. 



In reply to the Memorial, the following letter was received: — 



Dear Sir: 



Smithsonian Institution, 



Washington, April 7, 1893. 



I have given careful consideration to the petitions and papers 

 presented by you, and I have decided, in behalf of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, to rent a table at the Naples Zoological Sta- 

 tion for three years, and have already taken steps to secure it. 



I shall be glad to be able to learn the opinions of the representa- 

 tive biologists of the United States in regard to the best adminis- 

 tration of this table, and I shall esteem it a favor if, through your 

 mediation, an advisory committee of four persons may be formed ; 

 one to be nominated by the president of the National Academy of 

 Sciences, one by the president of the American Society of Natu- 

 ralists, one by the president of the Americal Morphological Society, 

 and one by the president of the Association of American Anato- 

 mists, with the understanding that I may, if need arise, feel at 

 liberty to ask their counsel in regard to the regulations for the 

 use of the table, or as to the merits of applicants for it. 



The table will be known as The Smithsonian Table. Publica- 

 tions resulting from its use will bear the name of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, and such of them as are of sufficient importance will 

 probably be printed in the " Smithsonian Contributions to Knowl- 

 edge." 



While the exact conditions will be determined later, I may say, 

 subject to better advices, that it seems to me now that applica- 

 tions for the use of the table should be made to the secretary of 

 the institution, who will probably desire to feel authorized to 

 consult the above-mentioned committee concerning them, when- 

 ever, in his judgment, occasion arises for doing so. 



If this meets your approval, will you kindly communicate to 



' Scientific Journals throughout the country please copy this report In full 

 or abstract it, so that it may reach every working biologist. — C. W. S. 



the president of each of the societies named my request, that he 

 nominate a member of the advisory committee in question? 

 Very respectfully yours, 



S. P. Langley, 

 Dr. C. W. Stiles. Secretary. 



In accordance with this letter, I communicated with the gen- 

 tlemen designated and forwarded the following nominations, made 

 by them, to Secretary Langley: — 



Major John S. Billings, M.D , U.S.A., nominated by Professor 

 O. C. Marsh, president of the National Academy of Sciences. 



E. B. WiUon, Ph.D., professor of zoology, Columbia Univer- 

 sity, nominated by Professor Chittenden, president of the Society 

 of American Naturalists. 



C. W. Stiles, Ph.D., zoologist, Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture, nominated by Professor C. O. Whit- 

 man, president of the American Morphological Society. 



John A. Ryder, Ph.D., professor of embryology. University of 

 Pennsylvania, nominated by Professor Allen, jsresident of the 

 Association of American Anatomists. 



In regard to these nominations, the secretary of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution has addressed the following letters to me: — 



June 5, 1893. 

 My dear Sir : 



I am pleased to receive your letter of 2d instant, in reference to 

 the appointment of members of the advisory committee, with 

 whom I may feel at liberty to consult, concerning appointments 

 for the Smithsonian Table at the Naples Zoological Station. 



As I understand you, Doctor J. S. Billings, U.S.A., of Wash- 

 ington, is nominated by the National Academy of Sciences; Pro- 

 fessor E. B. Wilson of Columbia University, New York, to repre- 

 sent the American Society of Naturalists; you to represent the 

 American Morphological Society ; and Professor John A. Ryder of 

 the University of Pennsylvania to represent the Association of 

 American Anatomists. 



I am glad to accept the nomination of these gentlemen, and in 

 each case to appoint the nominee a member of the committee; 

 and since you do not name the chairman, I beg that you wilU 

 acting provisionally as such, make this statement to each of the 

 gentlemen in question. 



I would suggest that it would much facilitate the business in 

 hand, if the chairman of the committee should be a resident of 

 Washington, and be so far authorized to speak for the committee, 

 that he need not consult its individual members on every separate 

 application. I am, sir, 



Very respectfully yours, 



S. P. Langley, 



Secretary. 



June 8, 1893. 

 Dear Sir : 



I wish to add to my letter written two days ago the statement 

 that I have decided to designate Dr. Billings chairman of the Ad- 

 visory Committee on the Smithsonian Table at the Naples Station, 

 and yourself as secretary. 



Please communicate this fact when you write to the several 

 members of the committee announcing their formal appointment. 

 Yours respectfully, 



S. P. Langley, 

 Dr. C. W. Stiles, Secretary. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington. 



Professor Langley has also sent me the following announcement 

 for publication, and a copy of the contract between the Smith- 

 sonian and Professor Dohrn, which is here published for the ben- 

 fit of those who contemplate a trip to Naples. 



The secretary of the Smithsonian Institution announces that 

 the Institution has secured a table at the Naples Zoological Station 

 for the use of American investigators. Applications for the use 

 of this table will be received at any time, and should be accom- 

 panied by credentials indicating that the candidate is qualified to 

 carry on original investigation in some field for which especial 

 facilities are offered at the Naples Station. These credentials 

 should be accompanied by a statement of the history of the candi- 



