Aniui.-il Meeting.] 138 [IVTav 3, 
but at present it is hardly a |)liice where ladies and chiMren can 
freely go unaccompanied. 
The princi|)al further difficulties in securincf subscriptions have 
been, first, the natural doubt whether the enterprise can be made 
self-suppi)rting even Avhen the funds asked for are raised ; and 
second, that while many persons of means are very ready to 
support such an undertaking by annual subs'^riptions of considerable 
amount, they are by no means ready to contribute an equivalent 
sum for the foundation of an establishment, the financial success 
of which they must consider problematical, because never tried 
under similar conditions. In short, they object to that feature of 
our plan which contemplates funding one-half of what we receive. 
Better, they sa}^, ask us to give enough to erect and equip a 
simple building, and an annual guarantee of so much as is necessary 
to administer it for five yenrs, and then at the end of that time, 
when the precise cost of what is needed for a permanent establish- 
ment shall have been demonstrated, ask for what may be shown 
necessary ; or then let it ()ass as an experiment which has failed 
to show its public need, without loss to any but to those who 
liave generously supported the undertaking. 
The Directors Itave been profoundly impiessed by these con- 
siderations, coming from men of affairs really interested in the 
success of our enterprise. iVnd they believe they can offer a 
solution which may he the best means of attaining all and perhaps 
more tlinn all that, has been proi)Osed in our plans for a Marine 
Aquarium. 
There :ire two large rooms on the north side of the basement 
of the building in which we are met to-night, now occupied as 
store rooms ; they are separated from the rest of the basement by 
a brick wall with two arched openings, easily closed ; they may be 
entered from the street by the north liasement door which leads 
into a vestibule between them. If the Society, through its Council, 
would grant to the Directors the use of this quarter of the 
building and remove its stores to another part of the large basement . 
these rooms could be fitted up at relatively small cost with A(}uari:i, 
both marine and fresh water, and lighted by electricity so as to be 
equally available as a place of resort and study day and evening. 
There is room for as many linear feet of aquaria as in the single 
room it was proposed to first equip in the contemplated structure 
at Marine Park. It would offer, therefore, at least outlay, all 
