PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 7 



only partial. Another way in which animals are rendered 

 extinct through man's agency is by the introduction of 

 species into a new country where they often cause the 

 destruction of some native species. This is taking place to a 

 great extent in Australia through European foxes, cats (which 

 run wild), &c. These animals, once introduced, it is almost 

 impossible to control. 



BOTANY. 



The recent publication of a report on the lichens collected 

 in the Arctic regions by the " Fram " Expedition, 1902, 

 has added to our knowledge of these low plants which form so 

 importamt a part of the Arctic flora, 161 species being re- 

 corded, including eight new to science. The whole number 

 of Arctic lichens known is about 500, of which three-quarters 

 are also found in the Tyrol and two -thirds in Germany. 

 Whilst on the subject of lichens I should like to mention that 

 the Dorset Museum has lately received a present of a collection 

 of lichens, chiefly, if not all, Dorset, with names and localities. 

 As some of our members may have been prevented from 

 studying this somewhat obscure group by the difficulty of 

 naming their finds, I hope that by this welcome gift they may 

 be encouraged to investigate this branch. I would remind 

 them that it is in these obscure groups that there is the 

 best chance of making new discoveries and finding species 

 new to science. That there are still spots on the earth to 

 reward the botanist with the discovery of new species is 

 proved by the collection of 25 species of the genus Impatiens, 

 or Balsam, from the Philippine Islands, of which all but 

 two were new to science. The increased consumption and 

 scarcity of wood was one of the subjects brought forward 

 at the British Association meeting in company with the 

 still more important wheat problem. It would appear that 

 America is consuming more than three times the amount 

 of wood she is producing yearly, and Canada, with her vast 



