374 



referred to as very surprising. But, I would ask, is it not very 

 probable tliat the reason why this distribution is so limited is 

 simply that it is natural^ or nearly so % In most other extensive 

 regions on the earth's surface it has been the case for thousands 

 of years that commerce has been transporting the productions of 

 each place to far distant points, and it can scarcely be thought 

 likely that nmny species — at least of plants and the lower 

 animals — could fail to have been at some time in such period 

 transported by accident along with articles of trade, and under 

 circumstances suitable to the establishment of their race. It 

 was not until this process had continued for thousands of years 

 that science entered upon the work of systematically describing 

 and naming the various forms of life. 



But in Australia the confusing hand of commerce has been 

 held back from tampering with Nature's order until a time when 

 science was to some extent prepared to enter the field, and (as 

 you will, no doubt, remember) the scientific results of Australian 

 exploration from the time of Capt. Cook onwards have been 

 chronicled in at least a sketchy manner. 



The reliance that can be placed on the naturalness of the 

 occurrence of any species in an Australian locality is, however, 

 every day ])ecoming less. If there is to be an exhaustive and 

 accurate record handed down for future use in science of the 

 indigenous distribution of species on any large area of the earth's 

 surface — which looks likely enough to be an essential condition 

 of success in solving the more complex problems of natural 

 science that will come before our successors — it would scarcely be 

 going too far to say that it must be made in Australia ; and it is 

 absolutely certain that if it is to be made at all it must be made 

 at once. Not only are plants and animals from other continents 

 being naturalised, l)ut those of one locality in Australia are being 

 planted (and are propagating) in other and distant places. As 

 an example, I may mention that only quite recently I have 

 learned, through the observations of the Victorian Colonial 

 Entomologist, that there has of late begun to be met with in 

 Victoria a Bwpresticl, which I find to be Stigmodera Brucki^ 

 Thorns., an extremely handsome species indigenous to Western 

 Australia, and which there can hardly be a doubt has been 

 introduced into Victoria in timber from Western Australia. 



Every year such occurrences become more and more probable, 

 and they will to an increasing extent disturb the natural distri- 

 bution of species. It is easy to perceive how in future times, 

 and wiien natural science is in a very advanced state, the absence 

 of reliable information as to what part of Australia is the real 

 home of numerous species which will then probably be dis- 

 tributed over the whole continent, may most seriously interfere 

 with the solution of many most important problems. 



