1 86 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



Norway, though he might give the Royal Geographical Society an 

 opportunity of contributing, if it cared to do so. At all events if the 

 Australians will find the moderate sum of £5,000, Baron Dickson is 

 willing to be responsible for the balance. Although Baron Norden- 

 skjbld had made up his mind to go on no more adventurous expeditions, 

 yet his objections have been overcome, and he is willing to undertake 

 the leadership of this expedition and take with him his son, who has 

 proved himself of the right metal in a recent journey to Spitzbergen. 

 With Baron Nordenskjbld as leader, success might almost be said to be 

 secured. The plan was to send one ship as far south as possible, say to 

 the neighbourhood of Mount Erebus. There the expedition would 

 spend a whole vear making regular observations, and carrying out 

 explorations as far as practicable. The second ship would take tip its 

 station at the island of South Georgia, there to be ready for any 

 emergency. Baron Dickson has thus made every arrangement possible, 

 so far as he is concerned, but there is no sign of the promised £5,000 

 from Australia.' 



" I sincerely hope that the Governments of the different Colonies as 

 well as private citizens may see fit to liberally contribute towards the 

 cost of such a desirable undertaking as an Antarctic Exploration. . 



"Biological Station. — Ten years ago the late Professor Smith in 

 his Presidential Address to this Society, made an energetic appeal for 

 contributions towards the cost of establishing a Biological Laboratory at 

 Watson's Bay, where the Government had given an eligible site, and 

 also had promised to double the private subscriptions up to £300. 

 The well known Russian naturalist, the late Baron Maclay, had for 

 two or three years previously been endeavouring to establish a Zoo- 

 logical Station, and in a paper read by him before the Linnean Society 

 of N.S.W. in 1878, he warmly advocated such a step. 



" The practical interest of the Royal Societies of Victoria and New 

 South Wales, together with several other Scientific societies and private 

 individuals, having been secured, a neat cottage was erected and fitted 

 up for the purpose required. The contribution from this Society 

 entitled us to nominate a worker, who would be received into the 

 Laboratory with the right lo use all its appliances free of charge, but 

 no one applied for this privilege, and Baron Maclay remained its only 

 occupant. In 1886 the Government resumed the site on which the 

 station was erected for military purposes, giving £500 as compensation. 



" Professor Liversidge, who is a warm supporter of a Biological 

 Station near Sydney and had been largely instrumental in procuring 

 the late modest building in Watson's Bay, referred to this matter in his 

 Presidential Addresses delivered to this Society in 1886 and last year. 

 Since then the Government have granted the use of an excellent and 

 convenient site at little Siritis Point, near Mossman's Bay, and it is 

 proposed to erect a suitable building thereon as soon as sufficient funds 

 are in hand. At present about £600 are available, but much more is 

 required. Professor Haswell, Sc.D., issued in December last a circular 

 letter, appealing for support and contributions. As this letter and 

 some of the replies received by him fully explain the work in view, and 

 also show the great interest taken therein by some of the most eminent 



