375 



Much, then, in the possibilities of the future in respect of 

 natural science depends upon the thoroughness and accuracy of 

 the work that is done by the scientific men of the present day. 

 If it is not done by them, the opportunity so far as regards a 

 considerable part of it will have been lost for ever. What we 

 have to aim at is (a) to catalogue, with sufficient description of 

 an accurate well-worked-out character, all the species found in 

 Australia; and (/>) to place on record, with exact precision — the 

 result of personal observation, not mere hearsay — a statement of 

 the locality which each species inhabits, and of its manner of 

 life. 



But here I shall ask you to notice that the energetic pursuit of 

 this work has a most important bearing upon economic science. 

 It is frequently the case (to take an example illustrative of this 

 remark) that some animal (say an insect) exists side by side with 

 some hostile influence — it may be another animal — which latter 

 appears to be the sole instrument that prevents its multiplying to 

 an extent that would render it most mischievous. An instance of 

 this is afforded by many of the wood-boring Coleoptera^ which are 

 preyed upon by CoJeoptera of the carniv^orous groups. Now^, if 

 the potentially injurious species be by any means introduced into 

 some locality at a distance from its native habitat without its 

 enemy also being introduced, it is very likely that — nature in its 

 new abode being not armed against it — it will become a scourge, 

 and entail the loss of most valuable property. When this occurs 

 there is an outcry at once raised for a remedy, and persons not 

 skilled in Natural History usually look towards the idea of using 

 some chemical substance to poison the depredator or to render 

 that on which it preys distasteful to it. But the direction in 

 which the intelligent scientist will look for a remedy w^ill be very 

 different. His first question will be, " Where is the real home of 

 this species?" and he will feel little doubt that the remedy is to 

 be found in something there which has enabled the article needing 

 protection elsewhere to go on existing in that particular locality 

 in spite of the ravages of its destroyer. 



It would not be too much to say that there are hundreds of the 

 most local species of insects which are capable, if transported to 

 localities at a distance from their natural home, of becoming 

 most injurioiis to vec/etation ; and that in almost every such 

 instance the checking of their mischief could be accomplished 

 only by the transportation in addition of something which in their 

 home has been hostile to their development. The next ten or 

 twenty years will probably see an enormous multiplication of 

 insect pests, owing to the increasing facilities for species being 

 accidentally carried out of their natural and controlling environ- 

 ment. 



