200 Transactions. — Zoology. 



composed of endemic species of great scientific interest, but, 

 at present, excepting the efforts of a few private individuals, 

 very little appears to have been done to make any complete 

 collections of our plants and animals. Probably many im- 

 portant species are already completely exterminated, and 

 there is not the least doubt that a very large number are 

 rapidly approaching extinction. The annihilation of obscure 

 forms of life no doubt appears to a great many people a 

 matter of small importance, and they would probably regard 

 the careful collection and preservation of the smaller plants 

 and animals as quite unnecessary. Ideas of this kind, how- 

 ever, simply arise from the present imperfect state of scientific 

 knowledge. There are very few who have not some interest 

 in such extinct animals as the moa and the mammoth, and 

 who do not regret that they are unable to see these creatures 

 as they actually appeared when alive. The Maoris, or other 

 people who destroyed the last of the moas, had no ideas of 

 this kind ; they regarded their dinner as of far more practical 

 importance. The Siberian peasants had even more advanced 

 ideas on economic utility, as they used the flesh of the frozen, 

 extinct mammoth to feed their dogs. I am afraid that our 

 more cultured successors, whose scientific knowledge will 

 have become a little more developed than ours, will regard us 

 in very much the same light as we now regard these savages. 

 They will say that " the people of the nineteenth century, in 

 their haste to obtain wealth, altered the face of the earth, not 

 even taking the trouble to preserve collections of its ancient 

 inhabitants for our instruction." I think that, if we do not 

 wish to incur future criticism of this kind, more efforts will 

 have to be made in the direction of making and preserving 

 collections than has yet been done. 



Setting aside for a time the enormous value of such collec- 

 tions to future naturalists, I should like to direct attention to 

 their importance, from an educational point of view, at the 

 present time. It is, I believe, generally admitted that far 

 more lasting and accurate knowledge is gained by direct 

 observation than by instruction through the medium of books. 

 There is no doubt, then, that well-arranged collections would 

 enable students to arrive at a far more definite knowledge of 

 the science of biology tban is at present possible. The ap- 

 pearance of such collections would also act as a stimulus, 

 first to collecting, and afterwards, as a natural result, to 

 scientific study. It has been noticed in nearly every in- 

 stance that the greatest biologists in different branches have 

 risen from the vast body of ordinary collectors. I am sure 

 that if complete and well-arranged collections of the Nevv 

 Zealand fauna and flora were to be seen in the Wellington 

 Museum our naturalists would largely increase. As an 



