* 658 
president's address. 
appendix to his " Narrative of an Excursion into Central 
Australia" he enumerates 10 species of Mammals, and 141 species 
of Birds met with during the course of the expedition. In the 
botanical appendix in the same work, R. Brown states that the 
collection of plants comprised about 100 species, though he enume- 
rates but 26, chiefly the new genera and species represented. The 
discovery of the Alexandrine Parrakeet, and especially of Notoryctes, 
may certainly be allowed to count for a good deal; but otherwise 
it must be confessed that the supplementary zoological knowledge 
gained during the half-century which has since elapsed has not 
amounted to very much; and the progress made compares 
unfavourably with the advance in other branches, particularly in 
botany. Not many explorers in later days have failed to come 
within range of the persuasive influence of Baron von Mueller; 
and Professor Tate has been indefatigable in his efforts to accumu- 
late natural history data in respect of both Tropical and Extra- 
Tropical South Australia. Consequently lists of plants with 
other botanical information will be found in almost every explorer's 
account of his travels, or in the Transactions of the Royal Society 
of South Australia. But we may look almost in vain for cor- 
responding contributions to zoological knowledge. This, however, 
is not altogether a matter for surprise when allowance is made 
both for the natural advantage which the botanical collector has 
over his zoological confrere, and for the special difficulties — -of 
collecting and preserving, as well as of transport — which have 
usually attended the steps of travellers in this part of the Conti- 
nent, especially before the introduction of camels. Hence beyond 
the descriptions of a few miscellaneous species, which from time to 
time have come into the hands of zoologists, almost the only 
contributions supplementary to the information supplied by Sturt 
are (1) the lists of the incomplete collections of birds and molluscs 
obtained by Mr. F. G. Waterhouse; (2) Mr. Sanger's notes on 
the mammals and a few other forms, specifically undetermined, 
observed during two years' residence at Cooper's Creek; (3) Dr. 
Stirling's paper on N otoryctes; and (4) the important Reports of 
the Elder Expedition. This expedition, however, was persistently 
