PRESIDENTS ADDRESS—SECTION D. 97 
who have established a splendid colony in this part of the 
world, are excellently situated for exploring the country with 
complete success, and leaving nothing to be desired with respect 
to it by the naturalists of Europe. We do not find, however, 
that they have as yet taken due advantage of their excellent 
opportunities, and if we except the works of Shaw (Zoology of 
New Holland) and Lewin (Birds of New South Wales), both of 
considerable merit, no particular work has made known in 
detail the natural riches of a country still almost unknown, 
especially in its interior (r). 
The work of the non-British contributors to a knowledge of 
the Australian fauna was in most cases profoundly important 
and valuable in introducing order and system, and advancing 
knowledge. Nevertheless, viewed from the present-day Aus- 
tralian standpoint, it had its drawbacks. The collections 
studied, if very large were still miscellaneous in character, 
and not representative on a large scale. Hence it came about 
that descriptions which may have seemed to be satisfactorily 
distinctive to the naturalist who drew them up, ceased to be 
distinctive to the naturalist of a later epoch at work upon 
better collections in which allied species were well represented. 
Next, the collections were usually brought together and studied 
from a more or less cosmopolitan standpoint. Accordingly, 
much valuable matter relating to the Australian fauna is spread 
over numerous volumes, and buried amidst very much other 
matter with which the Australian naturalist has now no need 
to concern himself. The total number of volumes containing 
matter of this kind is so large, some of them are so rare, and 
others are so costly that the resources of the best Australian 
libraries are unequal to the strain of purchasing complete sets 
of them, even if this were possible. The types and type- 
collections have become so distributed over the museums of so 
many different and distant countries that in many cases it is 
difficult to ascertain whether the old types are extant, and, if 
so, where they are, or in what condition. Thus for the Aus- 
tralian naturalist, to the difficulties arising from the fact that 
types are out of reach have been added those resulting from 
a cumbrous literature which is often inaccessible, and from 
obstacles in the way of the identification of described species 
because of descriptions based on imperfect knowledge. Some- 
times, too, the systematist was so absorbed in the purely 
systematic aspect of his subject, that he overlooked much 
important local or geographical information which the col- 
lectors had been able to place at his disposal. 
It is gratifying to note that Robert Brown had the oppor- 
tunity of studying the Australian plants, or some of the plants, 
(7) Edinb. New Philosop. Journ., 1827-28, p. 156. 
G 
