president's address. 721 



Baird and others. Neither Echiurus nor Sternas]ns have as yet 

 been observed in Australian seas. 



In the great group of the Mollusca one of the most promising 

 entirely new fields for research is the development of the Pearly 

 Nautilus, for though this survivor from remote times is only 

 occasionally found on the Australian coast, yet operations against 

 it would best be conducted with Australia as a base. The 

 development of the Paper Nautilus (Argonauta) is also an 

 important desideratum in Zoological science ; but unhappily the 

 visits of the Argonauts are not to be reckoned on. The develop- 

 ment of Sjrirula, on the other hand, ought not to be beyond the 

 reach of well-directed efforts. 



Among the Brachiopoda, Waldheimia Jlavescens is somewhat 

 abundant at some points in Port Jackson, and whoever takes it 

 in hand may contribute something of importance to our somewhat 

 scanty knowledge of the development of this class. 



There is much to be done in describing species in the various 

 orders of Crustacea and Insecta, while among the Arachnida 

 whole sections remain untouched. 



The Australian Tunicata offer a promising field for research. 

 Professor W. A. Herdman has taken in hand the description of 

 a number of them, and we hope soon to have his account of them ; 

 but there is much in this class that can only be adequately done 

 on the spot with abundance of fresh material. The observer in 

 Sydney ought, I may here remark, to be peculiarly favourably 

 situated for working out the development of that most interesting 

 of all Tunicates — Appendicularia — since both Append icularia 

 proper and Fritillaria occur in abundance in Port Jackson right 

 up to the wharves of Sydney. 



The investigation of the development of some of the peculiar 

 Australian forms of fishes would be of immense importance and 

 interest. I may mention the Port Jackson shark ( Heterodontus 

 or OestracionJ, Trygonorhina, Pristiophorus, and Gallorhynchus 

 as particularly tempting. The development of Ceratodus is still a 

 desideratum ; but I trust we shall hear something about it before 

 long. 



