president's address. 827 



on without grave and solid reason;" and in a note he calls atten- 

 tion to Darwin's saying, "I cannot yet bring myself to reject any 

 tvell known names." No doubt the Baron thought he had grave 

 and solid reason to change some names, and we should be loth to 

 charge him with loitering on his errand like the schoolboy, but I 

 am sure all of us prefer the names we became used to through 

 the "Flora Australiensis"; let us therefore adhere to them as 

 much as possible. 



Mr. R. D. Fitzgerald's " Australian Orchids " consisted at his 

 death of one Volume of seven parts, and four other parts towards 

 a second Volume. One hundred and eighty-three species were 

 figured and described, with interesting notes on their habits 

 and modes of fertilisation by Mr. Fitzgerald himself. Seeing 

 the number of fine drawings still unused, it was proposed to 

 continue the publication. The assistance of Mr. A. J. Stopps 

 was secured for the lithographic work, and I was asked to work 

 up the text. Many friends came forward to help with informa- 

 tion, and Part .'1 of the second Volume was brought out under the 

 editorship of Dr James Norton in 1895. About half the plates 

 required for Part 6 and some notes for the text are ready, but 

 there is no money to go on with the publication. Only a small 

 sum is really necessary to complete this part, but the Government 

 steadfastly refused last year to place any money for the purpose 

 on the Estimates. It will be a great pity if this part cannot be 

 finished, and also Part 7, which would make up the second 

 Volume. I hope a renewed efi'ort may be made some day to 

 induce the Government to provide the requisite funds for carrying 

 out this essentially Australian object. 



One of the scientific events chi"onicled for the past year is the 

 ineffectual attempt to execute a wish of Charles Darwin to pierce 

 a coral island to its foundation and, by bringing up a core, test 

 the mystery of its origin. A committee appointed by the Royal 

 Society of London fof the purpose of this investigation had a 

 man-of-war placed at their disposal by the Admiralty. The 

 New South Wales Government further assisted them with a loan 



