656 president's address. 



(2) That the assumption of the existence of a universal flora 

 of mixed types at any epoch is unfounded. 



(3) That the fossil plant remains of Tertiary age in Eastern 

 Australia indicate a vegetation in all respects similar to that 

 existing on the coast in the same latitude at the present day. 



To them might perhaps be added a fourth conclusion of less 

 certain character, but of high probability, that the Proteacf^ce 

 represent a most ancient type which had their origin at a time 

 when not only extensive areas of land existed in the southern 

 hemisphere but when some kind of connection more or less lasting 

 existed between Australia and South Africa. 



I take this opportunity of pointing out the danger of form- 

 ing conclusions as to former climates from the character of 

 vegetable remains. It has been not infrequently assumed that 

 because leaves of Cinyiamomuin or other tropical types are found 

 the climate must have been tropical, although the value of 

 the argument is at the same time nullified by the acknowledged 

 presence of leaves such as Ahius and Betala, belonging to the 

 cooler temperate regions. The European temperate flora of the 

 present day is very distinct from the tropical — it is cut off from 

 the tropical flora of the same longitude by transverse mountain 

 barriers and the Sahara desert, but on other parts of the earth's 

 surface there does not exist this marked division. On the Pacific 

 Coast of Asia tropical types reach Japan, while temperate types 

 have advanced south into the tropics. Tropical types invade the 

 valleys of the Himalayas, and on our east coast the same inter- 

 mingling of types occurs. In Tertiary times probably these 

 barriers to the spread of the different types did not exist in 

 Europe and the tropical vegetation of the south or south-east 

 was enabled to invade temperate latitudes as is the case on the 

 eastern coast of Asia at the present day 



I should like to induce Members of our Society to urge upon 

 their friends scattered throughout the country to report any 

 geological or pal^eontological discoveries which may come under 

 their notice. There are so many interesting facts to be elicited, 

 and the geological record in this country of ours is so broken ujd 



