1897.] Unwritten History of the Naples Zoological Station. 961 
strong desire to do something of lasting benefit for science, and 
you have an idea of one of the factors in the foundation of the 
Naples Station. This young man had already opened a small 
laboratory in a modest way at Messina, but it was far from 
meeting his ideals. Location, equipment, support, were not 
the best imaginable. 
On his return journey to Germany several points were visi- 
ted and critically examined as to availability for a large sta- 
tion, and Naples seemed in every respect to promise best, but 
the great problems were how to get the proper location, how to 
obtain the necessary influence and support. For a young doc- 
tor with a reputation to make and with only the money 
granted by an indulgent father, both obstacles were rather 
serious. 
One day in the late sixties, while returning from Berlin to 
Jena, an idea came which promised, at least in part, to remove 
some of the difficulties; it was to combine with a station for 
research, an aquarium for the entertainment of the people. 
Both Hamburg and Berlin had aquaria which were most suc- 
cessful, why should not Naples be equally favorable? So back 
to Naples he went at once. 
At this time Naples was making great preparations for a 
Maritime Exposition, and it was thought that the aquarium 
project would work in well with this, and that, the exposition 
over, the building could continue and develop its scientific side. 
The director of the exposition was interviewed ; he favored the 
plan, and arrangements were at once made by which the 
aquarium was to be inaugurated as a part of the exposition, 
the young privat-docent in his eagerness and enthusiasm, 
agreeing to meet all bills, while the director was to assume 
charge of the plans and the ordering of the material and 
equipment. Soon Dr. Dohrn saw his mistake. The director 
planned as he liked, ordered as he liked and soon bills came 
in for things totally different from anything which Dohrn 
himself would have ordered. So there was a break in the ar- 
rangements, and the privat-docent was back exactly where he 
was before—location and support still to be obtained. 
