president's address. 1111 



and direction of the Government of that State. It would be 

 a ridiculous affectation to pretend that such direction would be 

 as a matter of course perfectly wise or perfectly impartial ; but 

 it is the best for this purpose also, since it is the best that we can 

 arrive at for the still more important concerns of our domestic 

 legislation and administration. 



It appears then to myself that it is of good omen that the 

 Imperial Government should decline to associate itself with any 

 of its Australian colonies in the matter of Antarctic Exploration ; 

 since the same reasons which deter English Statesmen from acting 

 with us are of equal weight in showing us that this is not, like 

 other subjects, a matter for co-operatiou, but one that requires the 

 undivided and unembarrassed efforts of a single Government. 

 I would like to add that I cannot but regard it as a false move in 

 the game to put forward hopes of any economic or commercial ad- 

 vantage to be immediately derived from such an expedition. Ulti- 

 mately, no doubt, all geographical discovery does always increase 

 the area of human industry. But it may be long before this ad- 

 vantage is appreciated, and longer still before it becomes a recog- 

 nised fact. What we are concerned with is exploration and 

 discovery. Others will be welcome to profit by our labours. 



I have selected from an overwhelminsc mass of material the 

 particulars which seem to be of primary interest to members of 

 the Society, and have necessarilv omitted much which well 

 deserves our attention. But time presses, and faculties are 

 limited. Thanking you for the attention with which you have 

 received these very miscellaneous, and therefore, if for no other 

 reason, fatiguing notes, I shall conclude with the expression of a 

 sentiment in which all will join me. 



Floreat Societas Linneana ! 



P.S. — Since the foregoing address was in print, I have received 

 from Dr. Ramsay the following additional notes of papers upon 

 Australian Natural History, viz. : — 



