0\ THE USE OF FAUNAL LISTS. 279 



•one man can possibly gatliei-, even in a lifetime, from his own obser- 

 •vation, facts enough to fully and accurately map out the faunal areas 

 •of more than a few square miles. Obviously, then, if the work is 

 •ever to be done, it must be by hundreds, or thousands even, of 

 •observers uniting their efforts, i.e. each contributing his little mite of 

 ascertained fact, unmarred by generalisation, and put down in such a 

 way that it will always mark a step in advance and may ultimately 

 he used, without revision, as material for preparing the fullest and 

 most accurate account ; and then, after a sufficiency is gathered, the 

 whole plan, with its many complex reasons, will unfold itself to our 

 eyes like a magnificent pattern, so intricate that no one could have 

 imagined it, and so beautiful that its mere contemplation will be 

 found more elevating than many a noble work that is credited with 

 shaping the human mind in a right direction. 



And what is the object of expending so much effort on so small a 

 ■matter 1 Setting aside the incidental benefit accruing to agriculture 

 .from a right understanding of the balance of nature, also the 

 fact that science in general, of which this is an important part, is a 

 material benefit to mankind, as well as the not very tangible, but not 

 -the less incontrovertible fact, that a common pui'pose, answered by all 

 such studies, is the cerebi'al development of the whole race through 

 action on a large number of its individuals ; and it is not unworthy 

 •of consideration, also, that the many who are actually taking part in 

 the study are thereby provided with a delightful, healthy, and 

 elevating occupation. 



Apart from all this, I say : We now come to the final and great 

 •end of the study itstlf. When by this means we have completely 

 worked out the geographical range of our fauna the reason for such 

 distribution will be clear. The effect of each slight change of sur 

 roundings will be manifest, and then not only will we be able to turn 

 to the best account the various domesticated animals and their 

 products, but we will thereby arrive at a vastly more complete 

 knowledge of ourselves. Discomforts and diseases hitherto inex- 

 ])licable will be dispelled in a short time, perhaps, finally, by some 

 anaster hand playing deftly on the constitution with a skilful combi- 

 nation of certain of these ascertained factors of environment. The 

 .proper authorities then will meet a plague like that of the mosquitoes 



