president's address. 485 



He has also found three species in the blood of a magpie called 

 by the natives " curwang," probably Grallina Australis, and 

 another in the Eegent bird, which takes up its abode in the heart. 

 This is a field for microscopy, which should be taken up, as the 

 blood of any animal infested with a parasite shows its state readily 

 on examination, even with low magnifying powers. It would be 

 of the utmost importance to find what birds are thus infested, 

 because none of them can be safe as articles of food. 



The zoology of Australia has received a very valuable addition 

 to its literature in the Prodromus of the National History of 

 Victoria, by Professor M'Coy, of which three decades are already 

 published. It has been the endeavour of the distinguished author 

 of these publications to illustrate as many genera as possible of 

 the living fauna, and he deals at first usually with species of 

 special interest, of which good figures do not exist, or are not 

 easily accessible. Like all the publications issued by the Professor 

 from the National Museum of Victoria, they are most elaborate. 

 The drawings are in the very highest style of excellence, and the 

 descriptions full and complete. They leave nothing to be desired 

 except that we had more of them. While such publications do 

 great credit to the artistic skill of the Professor and his assistants, 

 they redound equally to the liberality of the Government of 

 Victoria. I have already referred to the successful efforts of 

 Professor Tate on behalf of the Philosophical Society of South 

 Australia. He has, ever since his arrival in Adelaide, been 

 indefatigable in trying to develops our knowledge of the zoology 

 and geology of the country. His papers comprise contributions 

 to most of the colonial scientific journals, and a particularly 

 valuable monograph of the recent and fossil margiiielUda. In his 

 annual address before the Society he has given a notice of the 

 general progress that has been made towards the knowledge of 

 the Natural History of South Australia. His account is exhaustive 

 but, to use his own words, we are brought faco to face witli the 

 fact that there are still many missing pages, even chapters, in its 



