Report by Prof. L. Marhi (Getlova).
Mit einer Karte (Taf. XI).
I. The Italian ~h a l a s s o l o ~c 8 1 and hydrologioal General report, Studies in Veneticl.
The constant preoccupation of the Venetians has been the so-called lagoon problem, that is all the questions which refer to the oonseroation of their lagoon. So since 1601 an apposite technical committee called the ,,Savi alle acque' was elected, which afterwards became the celebrated ,,Magistrat0 d l e acque". This committee should find out and execute the necessary taquirements. But they often proceed with uncertainty and with mistakes, so that, when in 1898 a commission of members of Parliament was elected to study a special scheme of law, the ,,Institute Veneto di scienze, lettere ed arti", always faithful to its very high task of promoting studies, which might give hohour and prosperity to the Venetian region, also appointed a cornmission which should study the same subject. This commission before all, brought in evidence that the opposite opinions, the uncertainties and the mistakes in the devised and actuated forecasts, derived easentially from the deficiency of observations, which should permit to ascertain the facts, by which it would be possible to establish surely the prin&ipal physical laws of the lagoonar regimen. The commission also pointed out thst, without the knowledge of these laws, the more suitable forecasts for the preserving of the estuary, will never be adopted. Therefore they formulated a large program of researches; but the want of the right persone to apply to this purpose and also the want of the necessary capital for such an ample project, prevented the praotical execution of these researches.
The work could at lest be begun owing to Dr. Magrini's fortunate idea of restraining the program in the more modest limits of a tidal study, which is certainly the fundamental ground for the lagoon problem. The Venetian Institute furniehed the first necessary means. But the importance of the initiated labours was at once recognized and consequently in 1905 the cities of Vehice and Chioggia, the provincial Venetian Deputation, the Ministries of public labours of the navy and the war office gave notable assistance to the execution of the researches, so that they were enlarged more and more. By the assistance of Dr. Gnesotto, private docent of experimental physics, of Dr. Beguinot, private docent of Botany and of Drs. S t e n t o and Rirazi assistants to the Zoology and Anatomy Chairs, all in the Padova