11 



ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS 



BY 



PROFESSOR RALPH TATE. 



o 



-Gentlemen — The duty of closing this session with an address, which I 

 have been requested to undertake, has not devolved upon me through 

 custom, and it may therefore seem to be presumptious on my part to 

 have accepted it ; but I have willingly acceded to the request, because I 

 wish to take the opportunity of touching upon some topics which cannot 

 conveniently be communicated in the ordinary way, and to establish a 

 precedent that will be good to follow at each anniversary of this Society. 

 I have thought that an account of the general progress that has 

 recently been made towards a better knowledge of the Natural History 

 of South Australia, accompanied by a series of remarks upon the best 

 available authorities to be consulted upon such subjects, might supply a 

 want which I know by personal experience is often felt, and at the same 

 time would form a not inappropriate address from the chair which I have 

 now the honour to occupy. The task of compiling such information 

 would not be very difficult to one who had at his command the well- 

 furnished libraries of the Royal, Linnean, Geological, and Zoological 

 Societies of London ; but the few weeks which intervened between my 

 acceptation of the Chair of Natural Science in the University of Adelaide, 

 and my departure for the scene of ruy future labours, did not afford me 

 time to consult any of those rich stores of scientific literature for this 

 purpose. The information which I am able to submit to you has, there- 

 fore, been obtained under adverse circumstances — e.g., isolation from 

 many sources of information, and from the assistance of experts — and in 

 some cases from second-hand sources ; and it is not to be expected that 

 the lists of works should be exhaustive, but they will give to the student in 

 search of particular information a clue which may be followed up to the 

 desired source. Our public library is ill supplied with works relating: to 

 the Natural History of the Province, and those needful works of reference 

 supplementary thereto, though some endeavours are being made to supply 

 the deficiencies. It, moreover, seems to me that the usefulness of the 

 Reference Library is at present practically nullified through the want of 

 accommodation for readers, and by not allowing access to, and freedom 

 of selection from, the shelves. The library of the University is being 

 jrapidly enriched with works indispensable to the student in Natural 



