20 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



would be available for our botanical students. Unavoidable 

 causes have led to delay, but I am assured that now, long before 

 spring-time shall gild our forests and stud our plains with living 

 gems, this desired aid will be in our hands. 



With much interest we look forward to the Baron's delinea- 

 tion of our acacias, of which there are some 200 species to be 

 figured. The delineation of these ought to be of great use 

 both for artistic and technological purposes. 



Our annual show of wild flowers brought as exhibits about 

 200 species. 



Through the representations of the club the Lands Depart- 

 ment instituted prosecutions against a number of persons for 

 ruthlessly destroying the native shrubs in Studley Park. 



We rejoice that the University have appointed a professor of 

 biology in the person of Mr. Spencer, while two of the members 

 of our club have, by their publications, rendered great help to 

 students — Dr. M'Gillivray, by his list of Victorian polyzoa, and 

 Mr. J. B. Wilson, by his list of algse from Port Phillip Heads. 



My last two addresses from this chair have been pleadings for 

 the study of science. With what Avords I could I have tried to 

 stir up interest in our own strange and beautiful flora and fauna. 

 And in this my third and last address — for I am, while highly 

 appreciating the honour so long done me, delighted to know 

 that you have permitted me soon to retire, and that one so well 

 fitted to be your leader has been nominated to succeed me as 

 my friend, Mr. Lucas — I desire still to utter my old war cry ; 

 and, further, to ask if it would not be possible to engraft more 

 science teaching on to our common school system ; whether 

 some knowledge of the forms of life every day to be seen would 

 not be as useful to our every-day boys and girls as what the 

 president of the Linnean Society of New South Wales calls " the 

 pride of the public school, the glory of the department, the 

 analysis of ti e sentence." 



But time is working for us, and the past is the prophecy of 

 the future. 



The word Jubilee meets our eyes everywhere — not a news- 

 paper page, advertisement, or otherwise in which it does not 

 occur. In a few weeks we shall light up our cities and wave 

 our banners, and gaily deck our streets and homes in honour 

 of the fifty years' reign of Victoria the true and good. May the 

 sunset of that reign be as resplendent as its dawn and meridian- 

 beauty have been ! And, doubtless, the contrasts between 1837 

 and 1887 will be drawn by cultured hands, and the progress of 

 the Victorian era be told by pen and voice. The student of 

 morals will tell with satisfaction the change for good that has 

 taken place, how vastly the customs of society have improved. 



