The South Australian Naturalist. 



cormorant, preying on destructive crabs, was the friend of the 

 fisherman. The pallid cuckoo, the blue wren, the wood swallow 

 and the quail were all most useful and valuable birds which 

 were in danger of extermination, and all of which should be 

 allowed a measure of protection in return for their most valu- 

 able services. 



Corresponding" Members. — At a meeting of the General 



Committee, held on November 8, it was resolved that the 

 members be asked to try to secure suitable persons as corres- 

 ponding members in country centres. Will members please 

 note this, and get into communication with suitable persons? 

 It is probable that in this way the vrork of the Society might 

 be greatlv extended. 



SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FIELD NATURALISTS' SECTION. 



Presidential Address: Annual Meeting, September, 1921. 



With this meeting the South Australian Field Naturalists' 

 Section completes the 38th year of its existence. While there 

 is no particular significance about the number 38, still the Club 

 and its members are to be congratulated on the vigorous exist- 

 ence that the past years have witnessed, and on the evidence of 

 additional activity and initiative during more recent years. 



It is not proposed to give a resume of the work accom- 

 plished by the Club, since there are more fitting periods, such 

 as special anniversaries, when this may be done. Nor is it 

 intended to recount the work of the past year, since that is 

 satisfactorily recorded in detail in our quarterly journal. Let 

 us, however, take as our subject the functions of this Field 

 Naturalists' Club of ours, and after coming to an agreement 

 regarding such functions we may look close'y into our records, 

 that we may learn to what extent we have fulfilled, and where 

 and how we have fallen short of those ideals for which the Club 

 was established, or which have been added during our period 

 of development. These functions may be conveniently set out 

 under three heads, embracing our duty : 



(a) To ourselves. 



(b) To the community. 



(c) To the study of Natural History. 



To ourselves by the provision of healthy intellectual interest 

 and social pastime, indoors and out-of-doors, along the lines of 

 Natural History. 



