lO The South Australian Naturalist. 



animals. Certainly we will make little heacnvay in this matter 

 if we do not recognise the fact that a considerable proportion of 

 those who have the greatest opportunity for destroying our 

 plant and animal life are not in any way desirous of its pre- 

 servation, nor inclined to listen to those whose knowledge and 

 sentiment lead them to earnestly desire such preservation. We 

 are thankful, therefore, for the continued active existence of 

 the Native Fauna and Flora Protection Committee, to whom we 

 extend our best wishes and our enthusiastic assistance. 



It would appear then that, as far as is in our power, we 

 are endeavouring to fulfil our duty to our members and to the 

 community. What about our duty to that abstract matter : the 

 systematic study of Field Nature, along well-selected lines^ and 

 the publication of the records of such work? We may put the 

 question in another way : How many of our members are en- 

 gaged in the active recording of observation work in natural 

 history, or in the work of collecting and naming specimens? I 

 have made bold to endeavour to assess these numbers, and I ask 

 the pardon of members if I have under-estimated. Here again 

 we cannot expect to progress unless we boldly face the facts. 

 There were 132 members in our last published list. Of these : 



(a) 12 members are to a greater or less extent profession- 

 ally engaged in the study of natural history or general 

 science. 



(b) 14 members are known to be carrying on private re- 

 search or collecting work in natural history. 



(c) 12 members, while not engaged in actual research or 

 observation work, are known to be assisting the cause 

 of natural history by their writings, lectures, or other- 

 wise. 



(d) By subtraction, 94 members are at present inactive, as 

 far as this type of work is concerned. 



Many of them are too busy to take up such work, others 

 have no desire to do so, being satisfied in taking part and doing 

 their share of the general work of the Club, v\^hile others who 

 may be anxious to do work lack the means of learning just how 

 to set about it. However, these are the facts as they appear to 

 me. Is the position satisfactory? No. If this phase of our 

 activity is concentrated on in the future it might be hoped that 

 at least another dozen capable workers could surely be enrolled. 

 There is an abounding field for work, for in many branches of 

 natural science the local material is almost untouched, and in 

 no branch is there so much accomplished that additional workers 

 would not be welcomed. 



