MARINE BIOLOGICAL STATION OF CANADA 



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SESSIONAL PAPER No. 22a 



the presence of no less than seven Canadian scientific men working at the U.S. Marine 

 Biological Laboratory at Wood's Hole, Massachusetts, and he concluded by affirming 

 that ' Canada ought to make a beginning, and afford opportunities within the borders of 

 the Dominion for scientific specialists to gratify the honourable ambition of adding a 

 little to the sum of human knowledge.' The Royal Society discussed the matter in 

 Section IV. (Geological and Biological Sciences), at its meeting in 1895, and a scheme 

 rapidly took practical shape on the recommendation of a committee, appointed by the 

 British Association in 1896. This committee, which was really a committee of Section 

 D (Zoology), was appointed to consider the question of investigating the marine fauna of 

 the Atlantic waters of Canada, by means of a Marine Station. The members held a 

 sitting in Toronto, on the occasion of the meeting of the British Association in that city, 

 in 1897, the chairman being Professor Louis C. Miall, President of Section D, and the 

 committee concluded its labours by recommending the appointment of a Canadian com- 

 mittee, with myself as chairman, and Professor D. P. Penhallow as secretary, and the 

 recommendation was signed by Mr. W. E. Hoyle, as one of the secretaries of the Section, 

 and was in the usual way communicated to the General Secretary of the Association, so 

 that final steps could be taken to carry it out. In October, 1897, Mr. G. Griffith wrote 

 to me an official notification that the Biological Station committee referred to, embraced 

 the following gentlemen : Professor John Macoun, Professor T. Wesley Mills, Professor 

 E. W. MacBride, Professor A. B. Macallum, Mr. W. T. Thistleton-Dyer, (Director of 

 the Royal Gardens, Kew), Professor D. P. Penhallow as secretary, and myself as chair- 

 man. This committee at its meeting in Montreal decided upon bringing the project 

 before the Dominion Government during the session of 1898. A memorial was prepared, 

 addressed to the Hon. the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, pointing out that the com- 

 mittee's appointment had been recommended at the meeting of the British Association 

 for the Advancement of Science, by the Sections of Zoology, Botany and Physiology, 

 and it called attention to the great importance of our fishing industries and the inade- 

 quacy of our knowledge respecting the nature and source of the food supply of fishes, and 

 of oysters, lobsters, &c., and it urged that suitable measures be adopted for the scientific 

 investigation of such questions, as well as for the more critical study of the life-histories 

 of important marine organisms used for food. Amongst other things, it was pointed 

 out that it was desirable that the station commence its work at some appropriate point 

 in the Maritime Provinces, and that it be moved to new locations, according to require- 

 ments. In its representations to the Minister it concluded as follows : — 



That the various universities and scientific bodies of Canada should be granted 

 certain privileges with respect to opportunities for qualified investigators, as may here- 

 after be determined. 



That the scientific work of the station be executed as far as possible by experienced 

 investigators connected with our various universities. 



That while the station remains a Government institution, the administration be 

 vested in a special board consisting of one or more representatives from the Department 

 of Marine and Fisheries, and one representative from each of the universities represented 

 in the delegation. 



That an appropriation of $15,000 be made for the purpose, of which $5,000 shall be 

 applied to construction and outfit, and $10,000 to maintenance for a period of five years. 



In support of which petition the committee announced the co-operation through 

 their delegates, of Toronto University (Prof. Ramsay Wright), Queen's University (Sir 

 Sandford Fleming), Laval University (Mgr. Laflamme), McGill University (Prof. D. P. 

 Penhallow and Prof. E. W. MacBride), Dalhousie University (Prof. B. Russell, M.P.), 

 The Royal Society of Canada (Prof. D. P. Penhallow), Nova Scotia Institute of Science 

 (Professor Benj imin Russell), The Canadian Institute (Prof. A. B. Macallum), Natural 

 History Society of Montreal (Dr. F. D. Adams), and the Natural History Society of 

 New Brunswick (Prof. Bailey). 



On Wednesday, April 20, 1898, a deputation waited upon the Hon. Sir Louis H. 

 Davies, Minister of Marine and Fisheries, in Ottawa to present the memorial. The 

 accompanying deputation was a large and influential one, and included the Hon. Dr. 

 Borden, Sir Sandford Fleming, Dr. Roddick, M.P., Dr. Russell, M.P., Mr. (now Senator) 

 22a— 



