CO129-538-1 Hong Kong University 31-12-1931 - 6-8-1932 — Page 52

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The journal covers all types of natural science but

principally Biology.

Particular emphasis has been laid

Ten

upon marine biological work, and an investigation of the

marine life off the Hong Kong coast is being made on a

scale not yet attempted anywhere on the China Coast.

numbers of the journal have been issued in the last 2 years,

and it is my hope that the work will go on expanding because

it seems to me that the production of a scientific journal

of international standing cannot fail to heighten the

prestige of the University and will assist in making Hong

Kong a centre of Western culture in the Pacific better than

and nearer to China than anything which America can offer.

The point however is, that this work cannot be done

without money.

University is only one of many important Departments and the

University authorities naturally hesitate to finance a non-

essential enterprise of this sort at the expense of other

Departments. Up to date the cost of the "Naturalist" and

the work of collecting and publishing data which is con-

siderable has been paid for out of my own pocket apart from

certain generous gifts. For example I have received grants

from the Government of Hong Kong of £60. in 1930, £180. in

1932 and £100. in 1933, which were to be and have been,

devoted to the production of coloured plates. I also

The Biological Department of Hong Kong

5.