114 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



doubt. We must all be in sympathy with the work from 

 that point of view. It is oceanographic research of the 

 most desirable and fascinating kind, which is bound to 

 yield qualitative results of great interest to biologists — 

 and probably also to hydrographers. But there is the 

 greatest difference between (1) such qualitative results 

 which add eertain new facts to science, and in regard to 

 the economic importance of which all that can be said is 

 that each and every scientific fact will some day find its 

 application and may then become of commercial 

 importance to mankind, and (2) immediate quantitative 

 results given as the outcome of investigations directed to 

 particular practical problems. Viewed as the former, 

 the International results are valued contributions to 

 science ; the facts are useful whether few or many, whether 

 they establish any definite principles or not, and the 

 conclusions put forward are welcome if regarded only as 

 scientific speculations which stimulate and suggest and 

 may lead eventually to definite proof. It is when put 

 forward as quantitative results directly applicable to 

 practical questions that grave doubts arise as to the 

 adequacy of the methods to solve the problems and 

 as to the sufficiency of the observations to justify the 

 economic conclusions. 



I have no desire to assume a critical aspect, or to 

 try to find defects in the International or any other useful 

 work. All such investigations must have defects, and I 

 much prefer to appreciate the valuable contributions to 

 scientific knowledge made by the International Council : 

 they have added greatly to the sum of our data in the 

 Hydrography and Biology of the North Sea. If those 

 who prosecute and those who support this investigation 

 will declare that they regard it as scientific research 

 undertaken jointly with foreign savants with the object 



