658 president's address. 



appendix to his " Narrative of an Excursion into Central 

 Australia" he enumerates 10 species of Mammals, and 141 species 

 of Birds met with during the course of the expedition. In the 

 botanical appendix in the same work, R. Brown states that the 

 collection of plants comprised about 100 species, though he enume- 

 rates but 26, chiefl}^ the new genera and species represented. The 

 discovery of the Alexandrine Parrakeet, and especiallyof Notoryctes, 

 may certainly be allowed to count for a good deal; but otherwise 

 it must be confessed that the supplementary zoological knowledge 

 gained during the half-century which has since elapsed has not 

 amounted to very much; and the progress made compares 

 unfavourably wdth the advance in other branches, particularly in 

 botany. Not many explorers in later days have failed to come 

 within range of the persuasive influence of Baron von Mueller; 

 and Professor Tate has been indefatigable in his efforts to accumu- 

 late natural history data in respect of both Tropical and Extra- 

 Tropical South Australia. Consequently lists of plants with 

 other botanical information will be found in almost every explorer's 

 account of his travels, or in the Transactions of the Royal Society 

 of South Australia. But we may look almost in vain for cor- 

 responding contributions to zoological knowledge. This, however, 

 is not altogether a matter for surprise when allowance is made 

 both for the natural advantage which the botanical collector has 

 over his zoological confrere, and for the special difficulties — of 

 collecting and preserving, as well as of transport — which have 

 usually attended the steps of travellers in this part of the Conti- 

 nent, especially before the introduction of camels. Hence beyond 

 the descriptions of a few miscellaneous species, which from time to 

 time have come into the hands of zoologists, almost the only 

 contributions supplementary to the information supplied by Sturt 

 are (1) the lists of the incomplete collections of birds and molluscs 

 obtained by Mr. F. G. Waterhouse; (2) Mr. Sanger's notes on 

 the mammals and a few other forms, specifically undetermined, 

 observed during two years' residence at Cooper's Creek; (3) Dr. 

 Stirling's paper on Notoryctes; and (4) the important Reports of 

 the Elder Expedition. This expedition, however, was persistently 



