OUR ECONOMIC SEA FISHES. 405 



areas under suitable more natural conditions, the fish could be 

 retained until older and better able to avoid enemies when set 

 free. From the foregoing statements it may be allowed that 

 research has passed beyond probability, and a tangible result 

 obtained, though still more is wanted ere rational legislation and 

 full benefit accrue. To get this within reasonable time additional 

 State aid seems necessary, for, as the nation generally is to benefit, 

 it is not the role of private adventure. 



We have four University Marine Biological centres. Port 

 Erin (= Liverpool), with voluntary workers, does a fair share of 

 investigation, chiefly, not exclusively, of a local character. The 

 Lancashire County Council contribute towards sea fisheries and 

 technical instruction, otherwise all is private energy. At Ply- 

 mouth (= Oxford) the researches carried on are of a high stan- 

 dard. The Treasury grant £1000 a year, and the Fishmongers' 

 and Drapers' Companies in round numbers £500 without equiva- 

 lent. Other funds come from sale of specimens and admissions 

 of public, &c. Most unfortunately this station carries a " white 

 elephant," viz. a building of huge proportions and officials pro- 

 portionate. This I strongly warned the originators to avoid, but 

 Naples was the model taken, and my advice was disregarded, 

 though now, I fear, discovered too late. It was started with a 

 very large fund (£12,000), but it is to be regretted it suffers 

 from the initial error. Milport (= Glasgow) heretofore has been 

 modest in its aspirations and gratuitous in its labours, though it 

 is advantageously situated towards the peculiarly deep salt-water 

 lochs worthy of further study. St. Andrew's (=Gatty), the first 

 started in Britain, has all along been hampered by paucity of 

 means. For some time the Scotch Fishery Board allowed a 

 slender annual donation (for their fisheries purposes— said 

 donation now withdrawn) ; otherwise all its high-class work has 

 been solely by private energy. Nevertheless for deeds accom- 

 plished she has worthily stood abreast of her more favoured 

 southern rival. Lord Reay * puts it in a nut-shell when he says : 

 " There is one feature ... of which I can speak without being 



* Address at the opening of the new building (Marine Laboratory), 

 generously presented to the University of St. Andrews by the Kev. C. H. 

 Gatty, East Grinstead, Kent, 1896. 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. I., September, 1897. 2 F 



