April, 1917. The Queensland Naturalist. 4Q 
that we had between us from that acre of land over one 
hundred species of flowering plants, many of which were new 
for that part of Victoria, 
May I repeat that all the members of the Club wbo go 
on an excursion should have a common aim for the time being, 
whether it be for the study of bii'ds, flowers or insects, shells 
or sea-weeds. Every member of the Club should do his 
best to find out what he can about our fast disappearing- 
fauna and flora before it is too late. 
Secondly, in regard to Club evenings. It is not enough 
to find out things, and to keep them to ourselves. Energetic 
individual effort is needed, not only during excursions, but 
in regard to communicating the results of researches and 
observations made at those excursions, at the meetings of 
the Club. This can be done in form of papers or natural 
history notes. Scientific records should be given at other 
societies which publish their transactions frequently, e.g., 
much of the excellent systematic work which has been done 
from time to time by Club members has been rightly com- 
municated to the Royal Society ; but there is a great need 
of more help at our evening meetings in the form of general 
papers, observation notes, and exhibition of specimens. 
The Royal and other such societies are founded to record 
scientific knowledge ; our function is to circulate such 
knowledge. 
In this connection, I should like to emphasise the value 
of our Club in the matter of educating and influencing public 
opinion. We are members of a Club which has no party 
political feelings, and no vested interests, and, therefore, 
as a Club, we can speak with no uncertain voice when 
necessary. We have a serious matter before us now, the 
question of the reservation and control of the National 
Park. Some years' ago, the same question agitated Victorian 
scientists. The Government of the day recognised vaguely 
that it would be a pity for the native fauna and flora of 
Victoria to die out, and after much representation from 
scientific bodies, arranged to keep Wilson's Promontory 
as a National Park. The Department which had control 
over matters, however, reserved the right to let certain parts 
of the Park for grazing purposes, and also reserved a coastal 
strip, both obviously impossible conditions, if native life 
was to be preserved. Much fighting took place, and finally 
the scientists gained their point, and the whole peninsular 
is now vested permanently in the hands of a Board of Trustees. 
Now, what I wish to stress is this. It was the Field 
Naturalists’ Club that gave prominence to the position, and 
first educated, then roused public opinion, until the Govern- 
