14 Anniversary Address. 



Geological survey lie so admirably conducted, and before his 

 work was completed, the Government of Yictoria should have 

 been compelled to break up the survey, and cause the withdrawal 

 of its experienced Director. But I am glad he is on his way to 

 succeed Sir W. Logan, who is retiring from the Survey of 

 Canada. 



It may be satisfactory to our geological friends to know that 

 "before he left these shores he had the opportunity of visiting New- 

 castle, Mount Victoria, and several spots nearer Sydney, and con- 

 vinced himself that in the tough fight I have had on this question I 

 had sustained my views on correct grounds, and had come to the 

 only safe conclusion respecting the age of our coal deposits. 

 As the Tasmanian survey is also broken up, Queensland is the 

 only colony that maintains one in Australia. The general 

 public will have, therefore, to depend as formerly on the unpaid 

 labours of voluntary observers. Mr. Daintree's report ought to 

 be a suflicient encouragement to Queensland not to follow the 

 Victorian example. If no other advantage arises from support 

 by a Government, it, at any rate, enables work to be done (if 

 even not remunerated properly) which it falls hard on even a 

 zealous labourer to provide for out of insufficient private 

 resources. 



Work such as that of the Victorian Survey when done once is 

 done for ever, and is cheap enough at any cost to the occupiers 

 of a new territory. 



I do not like to close these remarks without referring briefly 

 to two of the societies which are working side by side with our- 

 selves. The Entomological Society has not published any Trans- 

 actions since 1866. Bat its able President, W. A. Scott, Esq., 

 has during the interval given us the history of a Moth which has 

 made itself of some influence for evil during the last few years. 

 Some of its annoyances were described by myself in an account 

 I gave of the numbers which infested the North Shore in 1867 

 where it was conspicuous also in 1851 and 1855. It is known by 

 Mr. Scott's description as Agrotis vastator ; but he has since in- 

 formed me that its specific name should be changed. 



In 1851 I was camped on the snow under Mount Kosciusco, and 

 from a horde that came down from the granite peaks into our scanty 



