ANNIVERSAlir ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. 6;^ 



It is uofc, as some biologists would almost seem to imagine, that 

 palieontologists are led by any perversity of mind to reject the 

 light which is afforded to them, or that they are not deeply sensible 

 of the great value and importance of many recent researches in 

 respect to living forms ; but simply that they realize — often very 

 sadly realize — the impossibility of availing themselves of the help 

 afforded by such researches, in connexion with the very imperfect 

 materials with which they are called upon to deal. 



If we suppose that a survejdng-ship brought home from a newly- 

 discovered island a heterogeneous mixture of isolated bones and 

 teeth, of shells, bits of stick, and fallen leaves, zoologists and bota- 

 nists might be perfectly justified in refusing to waste their time 

 upon such unsatisfactory materials. 13 ut if, subsequently, news 

 arrived that after the departure of the ship the whole island had 

 sunk beneath the ocean, then the circumstances would have com- 

 pletely changed, and no pains and care would be felt to be too great 

 if expended in dealing with such a unique collection, however im- 

 perfect it might be. Or, to take a case which has actually occurred : 

 the curators of the Ashmolean Museum were fully justified in order- 

 ing the destruction of the moth-eaten Dodo-skin, so long as they 

 had no reason for doubting that other and better specimens were 

 procurable ; but now no labour and pains is considered too great in 

 studying the most imperfect fragment of the bird. 



And here I may perhaps be permitted to say a word in defence of 

 what has been treated as an absurd practice on the part of palaeon- 

 tologists — that of giving names to small fragments of organisms. 

 It must be admitted that when subsequent investigation proves that 

 distinct generic and specific names have been given to the root, the 

 stem, the outer and the inner bark, the pith, the foliage, and the 

 fruit of the same plant, the absurdity does seem striking. Eut it is 

 impossible to defer giving a name to a fossil until all doubts about 

 its structure and affinities have been completely settled by the finding 

 of exceptionally perfect specimens. Nevertheless, it ought certainly 

 to be insisted on that names should be given to very fragmentary 

 fossils only by a competent naturalist, and that he must accept the 

 responsibility of his act. A single tooth of a mammal may afford 

 good grounds for the establishment of a genus and species, while it 

 might be utter folly to treat the tooth of a shark in the same 

 manner. 



The remains of many extinct forms are in such a peculiarly 

 mineralized condition as to require special skill and training for 



