PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. Ixxxvii. 



Britain, was captured on Fair Isle last September. It is 

 migratory, and found in North Russia and Siberia in summer 

 and in Burmah and China in winter. Investigation of the eye of 

 the golden moles of South Africa has shown that it is sunk into 

 the dermis or true skin and surrounded by hair roots, its muscles 

 have disappeared, and it is very degenerate and probably 

 incapable of even appreciating light. They appear to be even 

 worse off in this respect than our English species. It is to be 

 regretted that much destruction of seals in North European seas 

 is carried on, in consequence of the damage done by them to 

 the salmon and cod fisheries ; an interesting international report 

 has lately been published on this and other fishery matters. 

 The Zoological Gardens has been enriched by a number of 

 Australian and New Zealand animals specially collected and 

 brought over last June, which will make its collection of the 

 larger fauna of those countries the finest in Europe. New 

 Zealand continues to reserve large areas for the preservation of 

 the fauna and flora in a wild state, and has now about 134,000 

 acres devoted to this purpose. Australia is also taking some 

 steps with a view to protecting its birds from wholesale destruc- 

 tion for ornamental purposes. 



BOTANY. 



From the fact that the President of the British Association in 

 1908 was a distinguished botanist, Mr. Francis Darwin, one 

 might hope for much to record in that branch of science during 

 the year, but I have but few notes beyond his address, which was 

 on "The Power of Movement in Plants," and had for its text the 

 words of his father " It is impossible not to be struck with the 

 resemblance between the foregoing movements of plants and 

 many of the actions performed unconsciously by the lower 

 animals." The grounds on which he bases the probable 

 existence of the faint powers of memory and consciousness in 

 plants I cannot enter upon here, but would refer those who may 

 be interested to the learned and elaborate reasoning contained 



