MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION AT PORT ERIN. LO 
local laboratories at various points around the coast, such 
as those of the Liverpool Committee (at Port Erin), of 
the Lancashire Sea-Fisheries (at Piel), and of the North- 
umberland Committee (at Cullercoats). In place of any 
such scheme of biological collaboration between existing 
marine stations, the report of the Conference urges the 
institution of the new central bureau and laboratory—an 
elaborate and expensive organisation, which will probably 
appear to most biologists a matter of quite secondary 
importance, against which objections may be made. The 
following one has already been raised*:—‘‘ With an elabor- 
ate organisation, such as that suggested by the Conference, 
there is a danger that the work of the biological stations 
would degenerate into the mere taking and recording of 
routine observations, whilst original work and the develop- 
ment of new methods of research, which are in reality 
of far greater importance, would receive a check. Good 
men would certainly not be attracted to work which con- 
sisted merely in recording observations taken according to 
a stereotyped plan dictated by a central bureau. A large 
amount of individual freedom to the workers is absolutely 
essential in order to secure the best results from scientific 
research.” 
In my opinion, what we want at the present time is not 
conferences or committees, or a central bureau, so much 
as boats, men, aud work at sea. 
THE FUTURE OF THE BIOLOGICAL STATION. 
Since last Report the Bellevue Hotel (and with it the 
Biological Station, built on the grounds of the hotel), like 
so many other hotels in the Isle of Man, has passed into 
the hands of a syndicate. After some negotiations, the 
* «*Nature,” Nov. 16th, 1899. 
