Dear Sir,

You will be pleased to hear that the appeal which was sent to you some time ago, on behalf of the Zoological Station at Naples, and to which you kindly responded, has been so far successful that, as you will see by the enclosed list, £850 were raised, of this, £750 has been forwarded to Dr Dohrn, and the remaining £100 he is about to receive.¹

The accompanying letter from Dr Dohrn will shew of how great assistance the money has been to the Station.

Mr Dew-Smith, who has just returned from a short stay at Naples, during which time he has been working in the Station, tells me that all the arrangements are rapidly becoming complete, and that now everything promises well for the future.

You may therefore feel sure that we have really afforded material help to a thoroughly valuable Institution.

Yours very truly, | M. FOSTER.

Stazione Zoologica, | Naples.

Dear Mr Foster,

I think Scylla and Charybdis are now safely behind me, and behind the Zoological Station. Since five weeks I am back to Naples and I feel that everything has become more consolidated, everything is in working order, everybody has got his place and sphere, where he is responsible, and the whole works very well together. This is my impression, and I think you will be glad to hear that it is completely shared by all those who have worked in the Station since this summer.

There is, of course, much still to be done; in fact, an Establishment of so new a kind may perhaps never get out of a state when there is still much to be done. But the broad foundation is laid, and I believe it is now strong enough to bear a good deal of weight, which the following years may throw upon it.

I think, Mr Foster, this would be the best thanks which I could say to all those who were so generous as to help the Station out of its difficulties. Fair statements of these difficulties have been told, therefore I should very much thank you if you would be good enough to forward these better news to all who have helped, to those eminent Naturalists who signed the circulating letter with their names, as well as to the Ladies and Gentlemen who contributed to the Fund.

Since the Zoological Station has grown into a Public, even an International Institution, I may hope that its future fate may become known to its friends through the usual way of publicity; if it were not so, I should always feel bound to give at least once a year a larger Report about what has been going on, what have been the achievements, and what is the prospect of the new Establishment.

Ever yours faithfully, | ANTON DOHRN.

December 20th, 1874