﻿President's Address. 



But after all, the difference between a faunal and a zoological 

 survey is relative rather than fundamental — the one leads 

 up to the other, the greater includes the less — and, in the 

 meantime, the former might be made to supply in a not 

 inconsiderable degree the place of the latter, if workers would 

 keep before them the cecological aspect of the subject, and as 

 opportunity offered, note something more than the mere 

 names and localities of the animals they meet with. Date 

 and weather, numbers, sex, condition as regards age, etc., 

 variation from type, environment, associates, photograph of 

 locality, are all points deserving of attention.^ " The real 

 progress of natural history," wrote Forbes in advocating the 

 investigation of our native animals, must ever depend on 

 the detailed examination of the beings gathered around 

 us by the laws of geographical distribution, living and 

 mutiplying in their destined homes and habitats." ^ 



Among the purposes which reliable and comprehensive 

 local faunas are calculated to serve, two very obvious ones 

 may be cited here. Firstly, in view of the changes that are 

 continually taking place in the animal life around us, they 

 provide a basis of comparison between one period and 

 another ; secondly, they supply those facts of distribution 

 which help the student of our country's fauna the better to 

 understand its origin and characteristics. Thus, by comparing 

 the " Forth " lists of to-day with former ones, we may note, 

 for instance, the disappearance of a number of predaceous 

 mammals and birds, several fishes, and some interesting 

 butterflies ; and conversely, the appearance and increase of 

 certain other birds and animals. The disappearance of pre- 

 daceous species, such as the Polecat and the Hen Harrier, is 

 easily explained ; but why the butterflies have gone is by no 

 means so apparent. Then, in addition to the ordinary eastern 

 type of fauna, we find in our lists a sprinkling of boreal 

 species, and the south-eastern element can also be detected. 

 These are enticing subjects which, however, I cannot enlarge 

 upon now ; and in any case our knowledge of many groups 



^ And in the case of rare or little known species and facts the recorder does 

 well to mention any previous records he knows of, if for no other reason than 

 to facilitate the work of future compilation. 



'^History of British Star-fishes (1841), p. 267. 



