962 The American Naturalist. [November, 
He drew up a few plans, designed an elevation of the build- 
ing he desired, and with these he aroused the interest of Pro- 
fessor Panceri of the University of Naples, who advised a con- 
sultation with the authorities of the city, who had then in 
progress plans for a park or garden on the shores of the beau- 
tiful bay. They, too, were attracted by the project and designs, 
and since they were to have the aquarium free of expense to 
the city, the very location desired was granted, the grant, how- 
ever, being coupled with several conditions. Some of these 
restrictions were almost laughable. Thus no one.was ever to 
sleep in the building, and when it was pointed out that the 
proprietor of the restaurant in the garden spent the night in 
his building, the reply was made that this was an exception. 
Again, it was stipulated that there should be no kitchen con- 
nected with the station, the reasons for this proviso being that 
if there were a kitchen it would be so easy to convert the 
structure into a hotel, and it would never do to have a hotel 
in the gardens. The other restrictions were far more serious, 
and Dr. Dohrn felt that he could not subscribe to the agree- 
ment in the shape it was presented to him by the Naples coun- 
cil. At this juncture he applied to the Italian Government, 
which then had its seat at Florence, and in a few days received 
the characteristic advice, “subscribe to everything, and then 
do as you please,” advice which later was to make trouble for 
im. 
Then came the Franco-Prussian war and the station plans 
were set aside for a time, for Dr. Dohrn was ordered to his reg- 
iment, and he went to France to take part in that struggle. 
When the war was over he was soon back in Naples. An 
architect was engaged and the station and its aquarial adjunct 
seemed on the straight road to accomplishment. But this 
bright prospect was soon darkened. The architect, like others 
of his class, had his own ideas of what a zoological station 
should be like, although up to the moment of his engagement 
he had never seen such an establishment, nor had he ever 
dreamed of one. At last he returned with his plans, Dr. 
Dohrn glanced at them, saw that they were totally unfitted for 
a zoological station and pushed them aside on the table, whist- 
