98 PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS—SECTION D. 
collected by Leschenault on Captain Baudin’s expedition. This 
circumstance seems to show that even early in this century 
Challenger Expedition methods might have been anticipated 
in relation to the Australian fauna. Sir Joseph Banks de- 
servedly stood high in the estimation of Continental men of 
science. If the exhaustive and representative collecting of the 
Australian fauna had been made a British undertaking, carried 
on in the interests of the British National Museum, the influence 
of Sir Joseph Banks would probably have suthced to secure 
international co-operation in working up the collections in the 
most advantageous way—without waste of energy, without 
clashing, with the types reserved for the British Museum, and 
collections of co-types available for presentation to, or exchange 
with other museums. 
At this stage it may be convenient to consider the ultimate 
reason why Australian faunistic collecting and work compare 
so unfavourably with the corresponding botanical undertakings. 
Primarily it was the Zeitgeist that was at fault—the more back- 
ward state of zoology as compared with botany in Britain, or 
as compared with zoology on the Continent (s). This, however, 
might perhaps have been successfully got over, or at least 
mitigated, if Solander had lived longer, or if he had been as 
keenly interested in the Banksian Collections as Fabricius was. 
Sir Joseph’s personal tastes were botanical. But still during 
the voyage of the “ Endeavour’—especially during the early 
part, or when there was no botanising to be done—he -was 
keenly interested in collecting, identifying, naming or describ- 
ing the pelagic organisms, the marine birds, and the belated 
animals which found their way on board the ship or which 
could be rescued as they floated by. But after the death of 
Solander, Sir Joseph seems to have lost all interest in zoology. 
He safeguarded the future welfare of his herbarium, but he 
dispersed his zoological collections some considerable time be- 
fore his death—the insects and mollusca by gift to the Linnean 
Society, and the fishes te Broussonet (¢). Moreover, Royalty 
was interested to some extent in the Australian flora, but ap- 
parently not in the fauna. Australian plants, too, had a horti- 
cultural, and, therefore, an economic or commercial value. 
Minerals also might prove to have a commercial value, and the 
discovery of valuable minerals might help to develop the young 
colony. But at this early date the indigenous land animals 
(s) See W. S. Macleay, Hor. Ent., p. 457. quoted and supplemented by Westwood, 
Arcana Entomologica. i., p. 45; Bell. Pres. Add. to Linn. Soc. Proc., Vol. ii. (24th May, 
1855), pp. 389-396, and Journ. vi. (Proc. 24th May, 1861), pp xiv.-xvi.: Vigors, sep: 
Journ. i., pp. 309, 532; Swainson, Zool. i., pp. 409, 464; Kirby, Zool Journ. ils 
Zool. Society’ s Prospectus in Zool. Journ. ii. 286 ; and “Life and Letters of Charles 
Darwin,” Vol. i., chapter vii., especially pp. 272 and 355. 
(t) The fate of the birds and mammals I have been unable to ascertain. Some of the 
birds, however, according to Calvert. came into the possession of his grandfather after 
Robert Brown’s death (Discovery of Australia, p. 89.) 
