July, 1907.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 51 



the late Baron von Mueller, was the first attempt in that State. 

 The Society is now known as the West Australian Natural History 

 Society, and has published several parts of its Proceedings. 



" Of New Zealand I am not able to say much from personal 

 knowledge. A Field Club was established at Dunedin, but I 

 believe it has long ceased to be. Whether there are others in 

 other centres I am unable to say. 



" In speaking of societies let me refer lastly to the Australasian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science. Though the 

 association has perhaps not shown results equal to the antici- 

 pations of its founders, it has done a considerable amount of 

 good work, and those who have been able to attend its sessions 

 have never regretted the time given for the purpose. Its 

 published proceedings contain a large number of valuable 

 natural history papers, which are apt to be overlooked by the 

 average nature student, in addition to which the local handbooks 

 compiled for the use of members attending the meetings contain 

 information unattainable elsewhere. 



"The several museums — Australian (Sydney), Melbourne, 

 and Brisbane — are publishing ' Records ' from time to time as 

 material is available and funds permit, while the special catalogues 

 of the first-named institution are very valuable publications. The 

 Western Australian Year-Book, issued by the Government Statist 

 of that State, contains very complete articles on the zoology, 

 botany, and geology of Western Australia. 



" The establishment of Agricultural Departments by the several 

 States has done a great deal towards increasing the facilities for 

 nature study throughout Australia, and the publications issued by 

 these departments generally contain one or two well illustrated 

 articles which are of the greatest value to others than purely 

 agriculturists. 



"Again, our Education Department, especially through its 

 ' School Papers ' and other means, is greatly assisting in the spread 

 of an interest in the things around us ; and last, but not least, let 

 me thank the Argus for its weekly column of ' Nature Notes,' 

 some of which are worthy of being placed on permanent record. 



" It had been my intention to speak of the literature available 

 now as compared with that existing in 1880, but I find the 

 subject is too extensive, and I will conclude with a few references 

 to that of our own State, with the hope that at some future time 

 someone will have the time and opportunity to work out a 

 general bibliography to the natural history of Australia, which, so 

 far as I know, has not yet been done. 



"Before 1880, with the exception of such classical works as 

 Brown's ' Prodromus,' Benthani and Mueller's ' Flora Aus- 

 traliensis,' Gould's ' Birds of Australia, and the earlier parts of 

 M'Coy's ' Zoology,' Victorian students had little but scattered 



