6 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



growth, perhaps, of centuries — which still remains in our remoter 

 mountain glens will not be destroyed so recklessly as in the past, 

 and that, by judicious and scientific replanting of valuable and 

 suitable timber trees, we shall endeavour to repair, as far as lies in 

 our power, the wrong we have done to posterity by a short- 

 sighted policy of wholesale clearing of forests. 



The various reports of the Commission on Vegetable Products 

 issued during the past two years contain information of interest 

 not only to the farmer and the horticulturist, but to those who, 

 like ourselves, have no pecuniary interest in paying crops, but who 

 desire to see our fields and mountain slopes diversified by the 

 plantation of a variety of forms of vegetation, and to have an 

 opportunity of studying in mass forms of plant life of high 

 economic interest which are not indigenous to our colony, and 

 who are glad to see reasons appealing to the pocket for the 

 preservation and cultivation of some of our native trees and 

 shrubs. 



It is with great satisfaction that I am able to inform the Club 

 that the long-continued efforts of the Committee to secure the 

 reservation, for the protection of the native fauna and flora, of 

 Wilson's Promontory, have at last been crowned with success, 

 the Minister of Lands having promised a deputation from this 

 Club a few days since to permanently reserve a large portion of 

 the Promontory as a state forest, under special regulations, and 

 for the preservation of the native fauna and flora, and to appoint 

 a committee of management, to include certain members of the 

 Club. Our thanks are due to Messrs. Gregory and Lucas, by 

 whom this movement was initiated, to the Council of the Royal 

 Society for co-operating in the matter, and to Messrs. L. L. 

 Smith and Groom, M's.P., for their intelligent support of our 

 proposal. 



In concluding this address I would urge on members, if they 

 wish the Club to maintain in the future its position as an 

 educative influence in regard to natural history, to continue to 

 take an active part in its proceedings. It may be pleasant to 

 attend the monthly meetings, listen to papers prepared by a few 

 earnest students, the result of their solitary observations, and to 

 examine the specimens of birds, insects, shells, or flowers which 

 a few enthusiastic collectors have brought together ; and no doubt 

 a good attendance of members is encouraging to the readers of 

 papers and to exhibitors. Yet it must be remembered that our 

 special work, as the name of our Club shows, is in the field, and 

 that unless members join in the excursions and collect and 

 observe for themselves, they lose the best part of the education 

 and pleasure that it is the object of the Club to afford, and that 

 as the older members, through the increasing press of business 

 and other engagements, have to gradually withdraw from taking 



