656 
president's address. 
(2) That the assumption of the existence of a universal flora 
of mixed types at any epoch is unfounded. 
(3) That the fossil plant remains of Tertiary age in Eastern 
Australia indicate a vegetation in all respects similar to that 
existing on the coast in the same latitude at the present day. 
To them might perhaps be added a fourth conclusion of less 
certain character, but of high probability, that the Protectees 
represent a most ancient type which had their origin at a time 
when not only extensive areas of land existed in the southern 
hemisphere but when some kind of connection more or less lasting 
existed between Australia and South Africa. 
I take this opportunity of pointing out the danger of form- 
ing conclusions as to former climates from the character of 
vegetable remains. It has been not infrequently assumed that 
because leaves of Ciwuamomum or other tropical types are found 
the climate must have been tropical, although the value of 
the argument is at the same time nullified by the acknowledged 
presence of leaves such as Alaus and Betula, belonging to the 
cooler temperate regions. The European temperate flora of the 
present day is very distinct from the tropical — it is cut off from 
the tropical flora of the same longitude by transverse mountain 
barriers and the Sahara desert, but on other parts of the earth's 
surface there does not exist this marked division. On the Pacific 
Coast of Asia tropical types reach Japan, while temperate types 
have advanced south into the tropics. Tropical types invade the 
valleys of the Himalayas, and on our east coast the same inter- 
mingling of types occurs. In Tertiary times probably these 
barriers to the spread of the different types did not exist in 
Europe and the tropical vegetation of the south or south-east 
was enabled to invade temperate latitudes as is the case on the 
eastern coast of Asia at the present day 
I should like to induce Members of our Society to urge upon 
their friends scattered throughout the country to report any 
geological or palseontological discoveries which may come under 
their notice. There are so many interesting facts to be eHcited, 
and the geological record in this country of ours is so broken up 
