President's Address cxill 
only a small portion of zoological study, histology and biology being of 
much greater importance. 
It may be said, perhaps, that in this respect our knowledge of South 
African vertebrata is so complete that little or nothing could be added 
to it. I cannot think so, however, for there is still much to be learnt 
about their evolution and their mode of living. Even concerning some 
mammals, considerable uncertainty exists in most elementary questions. 
The habits of the ant-eater, Orycteropus Capensis; of the otter, Aonyx 
Lalanndii ; of the so-called manhaar-jackal (or aard-wolf), Proteles cris- 
tatus, are only insufficiently known, the latter animal, for instance, 
having been placed on the list of obnoxious vermin, towards the 
destruction of which the Government pays rewards, while scientific 
observers declare that this animal is the best friend of the farmer, as 
it lives exclusively on insects. As some of our animals are becoming 
rarer every year, and some are almost extinct already, it is a fortunate 
circumstance that several patrons of our museums have spared no 
trouble or expense to procure such specimens. Quite recently Mr. 
Rhodes obtained a white rhinoceros, which, when mounted, is to be 
placed in the South African Museum, where it will be a fit companion 
to the beautiful antelopes presented to that institution by Mr. Selous. 
Together with this famous traveller and hunter, I must not omit to 
mention the not less distinguished traveller and collector, Dr. Holub, 
who has largely contributed to the knowledge of our Mammalia, as well 
as birds and reptiles. 
Snakes and tortoises have been studied by Mr. Oakley and Rev. Mr. 
Fisk; but of the fishes, fluviatile as well as marine, we know almost 
nothing beyond their names and the quality of the flesh. A marine 
biological station, recently advocated in one of the daily papers, would 
do much towards the study of the habits and modes of life of these 
and other inhabitants of the ocean. However, not only such a practical 
and limited purpose would be served by such a station, but owing to 
the close proximity of the two ocean currents, which differ greatly in 
their temperature, no better locality could be found for the study of 
the influence which the surroundings have on the evolution of new 
varieties. There are several species of molluscs* which are common to 
Table Bay and False Bay, but represented in each bay by different 
varieties, ¢.9., Trochus merula, which is in False Bay of a deeper red 
than in Camp’s Bay, and Marginella nubaculata, which is also richer in 
colour in the former bay than in the latter. What is the cause of this 
variation, which is so constant that the origin of every specimen of 
these shells is at once recognised? Although such a station could 
hardly become self-supporting, it would be able to pay a considerable 
* G. W. Sowerby, ‘ Marine Shells of South Africa,’ 1892. 
