( cxxxvi ) 



idea owes its origin primarily to our kinsmen in the New- 

 World. 



In the year 1884, The National Trust for the preservation 

 of places of natural beauty or historical interest was founded, 

 and this may be regarded as a new era in the protection of 

 the fauna and flora of the British Islands. Here, again, the 

 primary object of the National Trust was not one which appeals 

 either to the zoologist or to the botanist, but indirectly their 

 action has done much to help the movement, and what is 

 more, I am firmly convinced that the great extension of the 

 preservation of nature which obtains to-day throughout the 

 Continent of Europe owes its inception generally to the action 

 of the National Trust. 



In the year 1899 Mr. Moberly purchased and presented to 

 the National Trust, for permanent preservation, a few acres 

 of Wicken Sedge Fen, and this, I believe, was the first attempt 

 to preserve for posterity an area of uncultivated land in the 

 British Islands with a view to the preservation of its fauna 

 and flora. 



In 1901 the late Mr. Henry Willett, of Brighton, hearing 

 of this gift, purchased and presented to the Ashmolean Natural 

 History Society of Oxfordshire an area of land now known as 

 the " Ruskin Reserve," Mr. Willett being desirous that Oxford 

 as well as Cambridge should be possessed of a nature reserve. 

 This land, which was really selected by my friend, Mr. G. C. 

 Druce, is now held in trust for the benefit of the nation by 

 him and Professor Poulton. 



About the year 1894, the German Government, finding that 

 the fauna and flora of that country were yearly diminishing, 

 started a Department of State, with a view to preserving 

 areas of land all over the German Empire so that adequate 

 representatives of the German fauna and flora should remain 

 for posterity. The Director of this Department, Professor 

 Dr. Conwentz, has not only established a truly wonderful 

 system for the preservation of the fauna and flora of Germany, 

 but has instilled the desirability of this object into a number 

 of other European countries with quite remarkable results, 

 which I propose to refer to again in a later portion of this 

 address. 



