In view of the probable values of increasingly complete accounts of
primate life, it seems far from extravagant to insist that the securing
of adequate provision for systematic and long continued research is the
most important task for our generation of biologists and the one which
we shall be least excusable for neglecting. Indeed, when one stops to
reflect concerning the situation, it seems almost incredible that the
task has not been accomplished.

Some ten years ago Professor John B. Watson (1906) entered a plea for
the founding of a station for the experimental study of behavior. He
made no special mention of work with the monkeys and apes, but it is
clear from the problems which he enumerates that he would consider them
most important subjects for observation. Professor Watson's plea has
apparently been forgotten by American biologists, and it seems not
inappropriate to revive it at this time. For surely we have advanced
sufficiently along material and scientific lines during the last ten
years to render possible the realization of his hope.

To my knowledge, only one definite attempt has thus far been made to
gain special provision for the study of the primates. Somewhere about
the year 1912 there was established on Tenerife, one of the Canary
Islands, a modest station for the study of the anthropoid apes. I have
already referred to it briefly on page 1. The plan and purpose of this
station, which is of German origin, have been presented briefly by
Rothmann (1912). From personal communications I know that a single
investigator has been in residence at the station since its founding and
that psychological and physiological results of value have been
obtained, but no published reports have come to my attention.

When I first heard of the existence of the German anthropoid station I
naturally thought of the possibility of cooeperative work, but the events
of the past two years have rendered the chances of cooperation so remote
that it now seems wholly desirable and indeed imperative to seek the
establishment of an American station, which, unlike the German station,
shall provide adequately not only for the study of the anthropoid apes
but for that of all of the lower primates. It should be the function of
such a station or research institute (1) to bring together and correlate
all the information at present available; (2) to fill in existing gaps
observationally and thus complete and perfect our knowledge of the