NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 555 



become more tolerant of bush-tires, and as a result of the frequency 

 of such fires; and if the frequency of such fires can be regarded as 

 due mainly to the agency of man, then there would seem to be some 

 grounds for attributing considerable antiquity to the presence of 

 fire-producing man in that region, and therefore, presumably to 

 the ancestors of the vanishing Aboriginal Australian. It is not 

 difficult to accumulate facts which indicate tliat certain Austra- 

 lian genera and species of plants are peculiarly resistant to 

 destruction by tire. Among such may be mentioned the remark- 

 able recovery of Eucalypts, Proteads, and others after bush-fires; 

 the characteristics of the woody fruits of many proteads which 

 afford the seeds protection from fire, but the opening of which, 

 with the concomitant scattering of the seeds, is favoured by a tire; 

 the fact that the germination of the seeds of the Acacias is 

 facilitated by heat {e.g., immersion in boiling water); the case of 

 the orchid, Lyperanthiis nigricans which rarel}', if ever, flowers 

 except in ground recently burnt over. Though these peculiarities 

 of resistance to fire-destruction seem ver}^ noteworthy, it is another 

 matter to assert that they are the evolutionary result of the 

 frequency of bush-fires. Adaptation to arid conditions of long 

 continuance may perhaps account for some of them. Though 

 bush-fires occasionally originate through other than human agency, 

 it seems not unreasonable to suppose that Man is the only likely 

 cause of frequent conflagrations of that character. 



It will be seen that three propositions require proof if the 

 theory suggested is to be accorded any support. They are : — 



(1) Has the Australian vegetation any peculiarities which 

 render it specially resistant to destruction by fire 1 The answer 

 to this seems to be undoubtedly yes. 



(2) Are these peculiarities the result of the frequency of these 

 fires, or can they be satisfactorily explained otherwise? 



(3) If due to the frequency of such fires, could other agencies 

 than those of man produce them frequentl}' enough to so modify 

 the vegetation 1 



Discussion was postponed to next Meeting. 



