186 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
The fishes of the Gulf section are abundant, their great abundance possibly being 
the cause of the delay in their more scientific propagation. Thus it will be seen that 
the Gulf sectiou, both from a geographic standpoint and the standpoint of its fauna 
and flora, is at the natural focus of at least two-thirds of the territory of the United 
States. 
But these are not the only reasons why the Gulf section should favor the study of 
the biologic sciences. The great problems of the preservation of public health ; the 
prevention of the spread of infectious diseases among both lower animals and man, 
are in themselves demanding most serious consideration. The scientific study of horti- 
culture and agriculture, recognized in all countries as important, is still more necessary 
in the Gulf section, where all forms of life are more abundant and difficult to control. 
Other countries are trying to solve the mysteries of malaria, yellow fever, cholera, and 
other diseases, and why should not we at least do our part! No country on the face 
of the globe has greater cause for encouraging scientific investigation and progress. 
Thousands of other problems of equal importance remain to be solved by careful, 
painstaking investigation. 
The great need of the biologic interests of the Gulf section is a well-directed 
Gulf laboratory liberally supported. Marine biological laboratories have distinct pur- 
poses of their own. Unlike many of the summer schools, they are not designed to 
give many brief courses, from which students can obtain merely a smattering of a 
large number of subjects. The biological school confines itself to the pursuit of one 
branch only, is designed to give thorough work in this line, and the work in these 
laboratories must not be confused with that of many of the summer institutes. A 
summer biological laboratory must almost of necessity be placed upon the seashore. 
The ocean is the great home of life. Some large groups of animals are absolutely 
confined to the ocean, and others are almost wholly so. Marine life, too, furnishes 
the biologist with most of the interesting and important problems whose solution is 
solving questions of wide interest. 
So well understood is it that the ocean is the great source of life that it is 
beginning to be felt that no biologist is to-day thoroughly equipped until after he has 
had the opportunity of spending more or less time in work with living specimens at 
the seashore. The marine laboratory has about the same relation to biological work 
in the schools that the ordinary laboratory has to the text book. We no longer regard 
text-book knowledge as sufficient for a satisfactory equipment in scientific lines, and 
it is beginning to be felt with equal force that no biologist is properly trained until 
practical seashore work has familiarized him with the great ocean and its inhabitants. 
Students in our schools taking their courses away from the shore can, of course, gain 
a certain practical knowledge, but a knowledge that ought to be completed by the 
study of the living specimens in their native haunts. Many departments of zoology 
indeed can hardly be studied except at the seashore. Embryology and comparative 
physiology are hardly possible except where living, growing specimens are at hand, 
and certain types of life can not be satisfactorily studied except alive. The teacher 
in our public schools is learning that to teach zoology or any branch of biology requires 
not only text-book knowledge, together with laboratory instruction, but requires 
actual contact with life as it exists in the ocean. Summer seashore work is fast 
becoming a necessity for the science teacher who wishes to take high rank. 
To the college professor also a marine laboratory offers its own special advan- 
tages. He who tries to keep himself in the front ranks among our teachers knows 
