DISTRIBUTIOK OF AUSTRALIAN FAUNA. 451 



geographical distribution of the Australian fauna is a matter of 

 urgent and pressing importance. 



Doubtless you are aware that some rough and preliminary 

 indications have already been given of the results that may be 

 expected from a scientific, and therefore sensible, mode of pro- 

 cedure in dealing with forms of life whose unnatural enA'ironnients 

 have rendered them dangerous to man's interests ; and I need not 

 weary you with details of the experiments that have been made 

 in checking the ravages ot the Icerija by the introduction of 

 CoccinelUdce to the districts infested by them, and of the wheat 

 rust by the removal of the plants on which it passes the inter- 

 mediate stage of its existence wherever those plants are less 

 beneficial than the rust is injurious. 



1 do not hesitate to .say that it would be, in the long run, a 

 jjrudent investment on the part of any Government or coinbination 

 of Governments to devote a large annual grant of money to 

 organising and maintaining a department whose sole purpose 

 should be the scientific investigation of these matters. If we 

 consider the enormous losses that occur every year to the 

 agriculturist through the ravages of organisms which have become 

 injurious through their ha^ing been placed in an unnatural envir.n- 

 ment, we shall see at once that the value of a tithe of the amount 

 so lost would richly provide for the expenses of the needed 

 .scientific investigation 



In conclusion, I may say that an emnient member of this 

 Association has within the last few days mentioned to me a scheme 

 that has occurred to his masterly intelligence which would, if 

 carried out, be of the greatest value in promoting the studies I 

 have been advocating ; and I earnestly trust that he may be 

 induced to take the matter up and deal with it successfully on 

 such lines as he is meditating. 



12.— VERNACULAR LIST OF BIRDS. 



By A. J. CAMPBELL, F.L.S. 



(This paper is withheld from publication for the present for the 

 reason stated in connection with Col. Legge's paper, No. 8 

 of this section). 



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