13 
‘(I have determined, with one exception, which I have indi- 
cated to you, to turn over all the aquarium material to the State 
Laboratory of Natural History for such disposition as the Direc- 
tor in his discretion may find best.”’ 
This tender was formally accepted by me October 30, in the 
following letter to the representative of the Commission at 
Chicago: 
“In reply to your favor of October 26, notifying me 
that you are prepared, in accordance with the instructions of the 
Commissioner, to turn over to the State Laboratory of Natural 
History the specimens now in the Aquarium, with certain excep- 
tions reserved by the Commissioner, I beg to say that I shall 
accept with pleasure, on behalf of the Laboratory, all of this 
material which I find suitable for use or distribution by us. 
“I need not say that I recognize most gratefully the very 
great obligation conferred by the Commissioner upon the State 
Laboratory of Natural History, and upon -the scientific and 
educational institutions dependent upon it in part for their sup- 
ply of scientific material. Such specimens as I take possession 
of will be utilized to the very best of our opportunity for pur- 
poses of scientific study and instruction.” 
Being notified October 31, by one of the commissioners of 
the South Park, that that commission would probably accept 
the aquarium on the conditions named, and would, at any rate, 
provide temporarily forits maintenance until formal action could 
be taken by them, I did not disturb it until November 7, at 
which time the Park commissioners decided not to undertake to 
provide for its permanent support and development. I conse- 
quently then took charge of its contents for the State Laboratory; 
distributed such portion of them to the colleges and high schools 
of Chicago as they could utilize and care for; shipped the live 
marine material to Champaign for an experiment in aquarium 
maintenance; and placed the remainder in alcohol for subsequent 
distribution to scientific institutions and public high schools. 
A most careful and persistent effort made at the University 
to maintain these marine animals in tanks of sea water by the 
aid of a mechanical aérating apparatus such as we used in. 
Chicago, gradually failed through the unavoidable fouling of the 
water due apparently to the lack of marine vegetation, which 
the exigencies of the time had made it impossible for me to 
