14+ IvKFOUT S. A.A. Al)VAXOi:MKX'f OF SOIKXCE. 



Such was, briefly, the state of utt'airs when 1 took over tlie curator- 

 ship of the Albany Museum. I will not go into other difficuhies 

 which I liad to encounter, nor will I detail the noble help which I 

 received from various individuals in dexelopino- that institution, but 

 I should like you to realise, that working- on purely scientific subjects 

 in tliose days meant meeting- with M'et blankets in pretty well every 

 direction. Of course a similar state of aftairs existed in other 

 branches of science out here, and that also has been radically altered. 

 It is not ni}- purpose to review the progress made— the pages of our 

 scientitic journals bear elocjuent testimon}^ to the enormous amount 

 of work that has been done, and the advances which have been made 

 during tlie time under review. I liave only to mention the names 

 of Sclatei-, Broom, Stark, Duerden, Gilchrist, Purcell, Peringuey and 

 Marshall on the zoological side, and Bolus. Marlotli, Sim, Pearson, 

 Macr)wan and Wood on the botanical side, and at once there will 

 arise in yonv minds the picture of the numerous gaps wiiich ha\e 

 been tilled up, and the excellent work which has been done on broad 

 lines in our own country to advance our knowledge of South African 

 animals and plants. As far as practical application of biological 

 scierice goes, I have otdy to mention the names of MacOwan. 

 Lounsbur}-, Tiieiler, Bnrtt-Davy and Sim. and refei- you to the pages 

 of the various agricultural journals published in South Africa, all 

 started since my time, to show that on the practical side also an 

 enormous amount of work has been done. I could have made the 

 list of names very much longer, and perhaps the very number of 

 names of workers would in itself be a proof of how (litferently we 

 are situated nowadaj^s. Of course I must not forget to mention the 

 work which has been done outside South Africa to help us. The 

 British Museum catalogues, especially those of birds and reptiles, 

 have marked an important advance; also the marine work done on 

 the material collected under Dr. Gilchrist's supervision. Speaking 

 of my own subject more particulaily, I would like to express our 

 indeVjtedness to the authorities at Kew for the progress made during 

 recent years with the Flora CapensU, much of which will stand, for 

 many j'^ears to come, as standard information, while other parts at all 

 events will serve as a useful ground-work for future workers on the 

 subject. 



Now a great deal of the work thut ha.s been done, and a vast 

 amount more that renuiins to be done, consists in de.scribing as ac- 

 curately as possible our living species of animals and plants; but if 

 we are to believe a gi-eat many, who probably never seriously tried to 

 clas.sifj^ any portion of either the vegetable or animal kingdom, then 

 those who, either by virtue of their position as keepers of collections, 

 or by choice, try to advance the so-called species work, are a parcel of 

 fools hunting after a shadow. We have been told ((uite .seriousl3'' and 

 plaiidy that no such thing as a .species exists. 



