284 



to take quite a subsidiary place, compared with the play-ground 

 aspect. 



Although, of course, there is a certain amount of preservation 

 in the whole park, only two small enclosures, each about three- 

 quarters of an acre in extent, have so far been made for the spe- 

 cial preservation of the flora, while no enclosure whatever has 

 yet been made for the fauna. The estimated cost of a suitable 

 fence is £300, and there would be some small additional sum re- 

 quired for the care of the animals. When we hear of £400 being 

 spent for the erection of a kiosk in the Park (probably a desir- 

 able work) some of us think the cost of fencing a suitable en- 

 closure (£300) not very extravagant. If no public-spirited citizen 

 is willing toi donate this amount, could not an instalment be set 

 aside annually out of the Park Funds., until the required sum is 

 reached. Later on I will show how differently they view this sub- 

 ject in New South Wales. 



Although the by-laws of the Park prohibit the taking or de- 

 struction of all native plants (and probably there is no other area 

 of equal size near Adelaide so rich in orchids and other native 

 flowers as this, unless it be the adjacent neighbourhood of Black- 

 wood), the restrictive measures seem to be directed chiefly against 

 the taking of fern. Why, I cannot understand ! I suppose all 

 the varieties of fern to be obtained there are to be seen in any 

 conservatory, but in what green-house will you see our native or- 

 chids successfully growing? Apart from the question of flowers, 

 I hope that a portion of the Park (say the eastern or north-eastern 

 ^nd) will be left as far as possible in its natural state, so that suc- 

 ceeding generations will have an opportunity of seeing a sample 

 of virgin forest, when all the surrounding country is transformed 

 into gardens, orchards, etc. Let ns keep a bit of Nature's garden 

 intact ! 



For purposes of record, though it may be familiar to most of 

 you, let me just say that the National Park at Belair is eight 

 miles from Adelaide by road (13£ by rail), is situated in the 

 Mount Lofty Ranges, contains about 2,000 acres (about three 

 square miles), that it was dedicated as a public recreation ground 

 in December, 1891, the date the National Park Act was assented 

 to being December 19, 1891. This Act vested its management in 

 12 Commissioners, of whom five are appointed by the Governor, 

 and amongst the rest the President of the Royal Society is one 

 of the official members. It has been called a "spacious play- 

 ground," and when I mention that there are four large ovals, 

 seven cricket pitches, and 21 tennis courts, it will be apparent that 

 the designation is justified. 



One respect in which the Park, as regards its natural features, 

 seems deficient, as compared with mountain scenery of the other 

 States, is the absence of tree ferns. Mr. F. G. A. Barnard, so 

 long connected with the Victorian Field Naturalists' Club, whom 

 I had the pleasure of conducting over the Park recently, expressed 

 the opinion that the gully between the railway embankment and.. 

 the first waterfall would be a suitable place in which to _ grow" 

 these beautifiers of the landscape. It is certainly worth trying. 



KANGAROO ISLAND. 



In the report of the Fauna and Flora Committee for 1896, 

 it was mentioned that the Australasian Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science had recommended that the Cape Borda 

 Lighthouse Reserve should be dedicated to the preservation of 



