XVI. PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



special provision for if? The value of the results certainly cannot 

 be gauged entirely, or even mainly, from the commercial point of 

 view of so much money spent, and the equivalent of so many 

 volumes of Proceedings produced. But, unless research-work of 

 the character in question is to be regarded as largely an expen- 

 sive luxury, the cost of production — the business man's point of 

 view— cannot be left wholly out of sight. 



Since their numbers are now complete, it behoves the Society's 

 investigators to remember that upon them devolves their share 

 of the responsibility of justifying Sir William's belief in the 

 importance and efficacy of research- work matters in which he 

 was very seriously in earnest; and of keeping in mind Huxley's 

 words, quoted by Dr. T. Storie Dixson in his Presidential Address 

 of March 30th, 1904, Fellowships "are aids to do work; not 

 rewards for such work as it lies within the reach of an ordinary, 

 or even an extraordinary, young man to do." If so, then we 

 may look to them with confidence, to carry out their work 

 earnestly in the true spirit of the scientific investigator. 



The acquisition of eight of the plates [Nos. 1 , 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 1 0, 1 1] 

 of the rare coloured issue of Ferdinand Bauer's " Illustrationes 

 florae Novse Hollandiai, &c."(1813), presented by the Rev. J. 

 Lamont, F.L.S., in May of last year, which now adorn the 

 Society's Hall, stimulated anew our interest in the beautiful work 

 of Robert Brown's artist-companion during a visit to Australia 

 in the early part of the last century. On this occasion, I am 

 able to direct your attention to a very important paper, entitled 

 " Ferdinand Bauer's Drawings of Australian Plants," by James 

 Britten, in the Journal of Botany for 1909 (Vol. xlvii., p. 140), 

 which was not contained in the Society's library when Mr. 

 Lament's gift was received. It appears, from this paper, that 

 there are 203 of Bauer's Australian drawings in the British 

 Museum, which were presented to the Department of Botany by 

 the Admiralty in 1843; together with 49 (of which 16 are 

 duplicates of a corresponding number of the Admiralty series) 

 were bequeathed by Robert Brown : or a total of 236. A list 

 of these is given. Others are in the possession of the Naturhis- 

 torisches Hofmuseum in Vienna. Mr. Britten also gives a list 



