The Scientific Exploration of the Peninsula. 



An address at the General Meeting of February 27th, 1917. 



By H. N. Ridley, f.t$.$., c.m.g. 



The Object of the Scientific exploration of a country is to get 

 a clear systematized knowledge of the Fauna, Flora, Ethnology, 

 Anthropology and Geology of the country, — in fact of the whole 

 of the Natural History of the area, — and to publish it in such form 

 that it may be accessible to everyone. 



To get a clear idea of the whole of Nature, its origin and 

 development, it is not sufficient to study one group alone: for all 

 the various sections of Natural Science have a more or less close 

 relationship with each other; and before we can come to any satis- 

 factory deductions from the facts in one part of the subject, we 

 must know or be easily able to find out the stories of the other 

 parts. 



In the early clays of the development of a Colony, such as ours, 

 the study of Natural History is usually commenced by a few 

 Amateur Naturalists, who collect specimens and observations on 

 all branches of the subject. Later we get a few to take up special 

 groups or subjects, individually; for it is nor possible for any one 

 man in a lifetime to study every group in detail in so rich an 

 area as a tropical region. 



Later still a Museum or Museums are formed, with scientific 

 men attached who, assisted at least by the Government, are abie to 

 devote their time to collecting and preserving specimens, as well as 

 recording observations and data, and storing the specimens in the 

 Museums for reference, and publishing the information obtained 

 in reports or publications. And here comes in the great value to 

 the world of such societies as ours which record facts of Natural 

 history, the geography of the country, and all that belongs to a 

 complete knowledge of the country we live in. 



Now in the beginning of these researches we find that certain 

 groups of animals are more popular than others, such as birds and 

 butterflies, and we therefore find a larger number of collectors of 

 these animals, and consequently we get sooner a good knowledge 

 of these groups than we do of say beetles or molluscs; and we 

 require a number of collectors and students of these more dif- 

 ficult groups to collect. In many of the country Natural History 

 Societies at home the members contrive to get one or other of 



