March 2, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



335 



devise waj's and means for collecting the 

 necessary fands." In the spring of 1888 

 about ten thousand dollars had been se- 

 cured, and accordingly the Marine Biolog- 

 ical Laboratory was incorporated and steps 

 were taken to open it that season. After 

 prolonged consideration the trustees de- 

 cided to locate the laboratory at Woods 

 Holl, Mass., and the whole history of the 

 institution has shown the wisdom of this 

 decision. 



The natural advantages of Woods Holl 

 deserve especial emphasis because they 

 have been fundamental to the success of the 

 Laboratory. In a good location a biolog- 

 ical laboratory may be highly successful 

 with very little equipment, while in a poor 

 location no amount of money can make up 

 for this defect. 



In 1881 Professor Baird determined to lo- 

 cate the marine laboratory of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission at Woods Holl, after having in- 



fessor Baird was Newport, R. I., and this 

 was finally rejected because of the relative 

 impurity of the water of Narragansett Bay. 

 On the other hand the waters of Buzzards 

 Bay and Vineyard Sound are of exceptional 

 purity, there being no large fresh water 

 streams in the vicinity nor cities discharg- 

 ing their filth into the waters. In the im- 

 mediate vicinity of Woods Holl are nu- 

 merous harbors and lagoons, with muddy, 

 sandy or rocky bottoms, while the coast is 

 so broken by bays, promontories, straits 

 and islands as to afford the most varied 

 habitats. In addition the tide currents 

 which sweep in through the sound and ' hole' 

 bring in multitudes of floating animals and 

 plants, many of which are tropical forms 

 carried in from the Gulf Stream, which is 

 distant only about one hundred miles. 

 The proximity of the Gulf Stream to this 

 portion of the New England coast gives a 

 laboratory located at this point many of 



1^ 



Fig. 1. Main Building, Marine Biological Laboratory. 



vestigated, during the preceding ten years, 

 almost every available point on the Atlantic 

 coast. It is doubtful whether at any other 

 single place on this coast so many valuable 

 and important features can be found. The 

 only other place seriously considered by Pro- 



tlie advantages of a tropical station with- 

 out any of the accompanying disadvan- 

 tages. There are also many fresh water 

 ponds and lakes in the vicinity which 

 contain a rich fauna and flora. Add 

 to these things the fact that Woods Holl 



