I02 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS SECTION D. 



groups will agree with me that there should be much greater 

 co-ordination. We require to know, not merely the various 

 species represented in this country, but the distribution in detail 

 of each species. To no worker should this appeal more than to 

 the parasitologist and veterinary. 



Anyone interested in zoological problems will realise that 

 systematic zoology must play a very important and basal part, 

 and that broad generalisations will lack support unless they have 

 been built up in full cognisance of the systematics of the group 

 or groups concerned. 



The mere description of new species or genera at the present 

 day fails to attract many zoologists, but all will recognise the 

 necessity for the description of all existing forms. Many no 

 doubt will see in such descriptions the corroboration of morpho- 

 logical generalisations, interesting information bearing on prob- 

 lems in heredity, genesis of species, distribution, palseogeography, 

 phylogeny, or possibly the key to a classification not before possible 

 owing to our ignorance of the existence of intermediate forms. 

 To all zoologists the completion of a census of the fauna of 

 South Africa will appeal as a necessary and ideal task, for the 

 reasons above mentioned. The carrying out of such, however, 

 will demand the labours of more zoologists than are at present 

 available in our universities, museums, and Government depart- 

 ments, and thus directly and indirectly demands greater financial 

 assistance. In inaking any such request I think we, will all feel 

 that it devolves on us to demonstrate that, beyond the great 

 necessity for such a zoological survey in elucidating the fauna (jf 

 South Africa, there is a direct economic side, and again to indicate 

 the means by which such a survey can be carried out. 



Perhaps no country in the world possesses more interest for 

 the parasitologi st th an Southern and Equatorial Africa. The pro- 

 tozoologist has here a life work, and continues to discover new 

 forms and find the clue to life-history cycles. He soon realises 

 that what is known of South African parasitic Protozoa repre- 

 sents but a small part of what remains to be known, and that 

 patient work, with encouragement, will lead to results that may 

 yet be appreciated from the direct,ly economic standpoint. The 

 protozoologist is concerned not merely with the morphological 

 characters of his protozoon, but also with its life-history, and this 

 demands a specific census of a great number of other grou|)s. 

 Hence from this standpoint alone we can furnish a very strong 

 case for a complete zoological survey. It will, I think, a])peal to 

 all that this knowledge merely will not furnish us with a scienti- 

 fically complete record. We need really a detailed distribution list 

 of each particular species, both of host and parasite. It is only by 

 possessing such information that we can set to work to encounter 

 scientifically any trouble due to parasitic iforms that may arise 

 at any time. This concerns not only parasites which are endemic, 

 but also specific hosts which may act as intermediaries for exotic 

 forms which may arrive. Further, much interesting work of a 



