212 



SCIENCE. 



I Vol. V., No. 110. 



all grades, both beginners and specialists, are 

 admitted. The Massachusetts laboratories at 

 Salem, Cottage City, and Annisquam, are ex- 

 amples of this class ; and these differ among 

 themselves. Those at Salem and Cottage City 

 have been conducted on the plan of giving lec- 

 tures, and supplementing them with laboratory 

 work. The} 7 have had little success ; and, in 

 fact, that at Salem has been closed for two 

 years, because of small attendance, and lack of 

 funds, for it can readily be seen that the lec- 

 ture system is an expensive one. The labora- 

 tory at Annisquam has a distinct policy, due to 

 Professor Hyatt's and Mr. Van Vleck's experi- 

 ence, much simpler and less expensive. No 

 lectures are given, and no classes formed. The 

 fundamental consideration in each case is the 

 individual wants of the pupil. The student is 

 set at work upon some special animal or in 

 some line which he wishes to follow, and made 

 to study and see for himself, frequently with- 

 out the aid of text-books, which are seldom 

 used except as means of confirming what has 

 already been seen without their aid. Students 

 not infrequently come from schools and colleges 

 where the old method of teaching from books 

 is still in vogue ; and though imbued with the 

 idea that this is the proper way of teaching, and 

 at first opposed to the new method, they event- 

 ually go away with their notions concerning 

 teaching always much modified, and sometimes 

 completely revolutionized. That this is the 

 proper method of teaching biology, there can 

 be no doubt ; and the amount of knowledge 

 possessed, by the students at the end of the sea- 

 son's work is remarkable indeed. Advanced 

 students are allowed to choose their specialty, 

 and study what they please ; though the} 7 , too, 

 are advised to stud}- after this method. 



The Annisquam school is the outgrowth of a 

 small private laboratory which Professor Hyatt 

 had in his own house at Annisquam. The 

 number of applicants increased to such an 

 extent, that the limited accommodations at 

 Professor Hyatt's disposal would by no means 

 satisfy the demands. Some of the members 

 of the Woman's educational association of Bos- 

 ton who were interested in this branch of edu- 

 cation, and knew these facts, took the matter 

 in hand, and, though uninfluenced by any di- 

 rect solicitation from Professor Hyatt or others, 

 offered to found a laboratory for the use of both 

 sexes, provided its departments of instruction 

 could be carried on by the officers of the Bos- 

 ton society of natural history, of which Pro- 

 fessor Hyatt is curator. 



Annisquam, the place chosen, is an ex- 

 tremely pretty and quiet village on the north 



side of Cape Ann, a few miles from Gloucester, 

 and two hours' ride from Boston by stage and 

 rail. The granite, surf-beaten shores and the 

 bowlder-covered granite hilltops are found on 

 all sides. All conditions necessary to the ex- 

 istence of a variety of marine forms are pres- 

 ent on these shores. There are tide-pools, 

 rocks, mud, sand, eel-grass, and marshes, all 

 alternately covered with water, and exposed to 

 the collector, by the strong tides which rise and 

 fall from nine to eleven feet twice each day. 

 All kinds of shore and surface forms are found 

 in an abundance equalled by no place south of 

 Eastport. Embryos and adults of common 

 and curious forms are constantly met with, 

 thus furnishing material both for general work 

 and original investigation. For collecting-pur- 

 poses, the laboratory owns two row-boats, in 

 which the students can visit any of the collect- 

 ing-grounds in the vicinity. It has also been 

 the privilege of the students, for the past four 

 years, to make occasional dredging-trips in 

 Professor Hyatt's schooner-yacht, though this 

 does not belong to the laboratory. These 

 excursions are not promised as an inducement 

 to draw students ; but it has been Professor 

 Hyatt's custom to take the students out as fre- 

 quently as they desire to go, and give them 

 opportunities for dredging in proportion to 

 their interest in this kind of work, whenever 

 the Arethusa is at Annisquam. Dredgings are 

 then made in from fifteen to fifty fathoms, and 

 man} 7 interesting animals are added to the 

 students' collections, besides the new forms 

 which are thus furnished them for study. 



Like most laboratories, this one is far from 

 prepossessing, either from an external or inter- 

 nal point of view. The foundations are of solid 

 granite. Most of the tables are fastened di- 

 rectly to the wall to allow microscopic work 

 to proceed with little jarring. Each table is 

 furnished with a small glass aquarium fed with 

 salt water flowing from a tank which is filled 

 by a windmill. The pipes from this are all 

 wooden, so that there is no trouble with iron- 

 rust. In the centre of the room are larger 

 aquaria. There is also a photographic room, 

 an attic, and a basement for storage. There is 

 a good collection of chemicals, even those for 

 fine microscopic work being well represented. 



The school is open to all who intend to 

 make use of the knowledge they obtain in teach- 

 ing or in original investigation. The charges 

 being merely nominal, those of limited means 

 are not excluded by exorbitant fees ; and the 

 only obstacle of a pecuniary nature" is the 

 necessarily high board at seashore places. A 

 few investigators have already made use of the 



