2 T. A. Coward — Presidential Address 



" ril try the whole cause, and condemn you to death," is 

 the usual verdict. 



Maybe, Man has the right of might, whether by strength 

 or learning, of cultivating certain plants and animals at the 

 expense of others, and condemning those which are in his way 

 as " weeds " or " vermin," but he is apt to overlook a very 

 important point. Knowledge is progressive, and, as the 

 historian knows, the acme of knowledge is a matter of the age ; 

 what is wisdom to-day may be foolishness to-morrow. The 

 learning of the past, in some cases at any rate, is ridiculous 

 in our twentieth century eyes; in each era there were philoso- 

 phers who believed that they had reached the top of the tree. 

 Alas, for their folly ! 



Just as the scientific manufacturer, generally through the 

 chemist, constantly finds fresh use for his bye-products, the 

 rejectamenta of former years, so the economic zoologist finds 

 value in the condemned weed or vermin. Furthermore, there 

 is at the present time a growing belief in the inter-relation of 

 all life, and though the study of ecolog\- is in its infancv, and 

 so far has failed to throw strong light upon the so-called 

 balance of nature, it is on the right track. When it becomes 

 the life work of many more philosophical naturalists, and is 

 not merely treated as something to dabble with during years 

 of preparation for some more lucrative career, we shall have 

 discoveries which will make us very diffident about destroying 

 or even attempting to destroy organisms which at the present 

 time we think are in our way. 



What is the object of protection or preservation ? Why 

 do we endeavour to maintain one plant or animal, or urge 

 that all should have consideration ? There are four main 

 arguments brought forward in support of Protection, and 

 though the first three are for specializing, or selecting 

 individuals or groups of individuals for care, the last applies 

 to creatures as a whole. The one which perhaps appeals to 

 the largest number, and which gets most support in that agent 

 of popular propaganda- -the Press — is the Economic Argu- 

 ment. The lay and commercial mind understands this line 

 of reasoning. Your animal is or may be of value — to whom 

 or what? — to mankind in general; of value commerciallv ; of 

 value as a means of checking the increase of, or even of 

 destroying, something else which appears detrimental to 

 human welfare ; of value as food for some other creature 

 whose body or products are a commercial or agricultural (one 

 and the same thing) asset for Man. It must therefore be 

 protected, not for its own sake but for the welfare of another. 



