EXTINCT WHALES AND WOMBATS 307 
in the position of having to abandon the search for lack of means 
to go on. Sir Thomas Elder, however, the distinguished initiator 
and promoter of Australian exploration expeditions, with his 
usual liberality to the cause of science, and with a desire to 
advance the scientific reputation of South Australian work, has 
come to the assistance of the museum in this matter, and has 
enabled the directors to continue this most important and 
extensive work. Dr. Stirling proposes to start for Lake Mulligan 
himself this week, with a view of personally superintending 
operations ; and there can be little doubt but that work in the 
future will yield results even surpassing those already made. 
“ I am, etc., 
“William Kinmont.” 
The following is part of the article above alluded to from the 
South Australian Register : — 
“ Sir Thomas Elder, G.C.M.G., has once more placed South 
Australia under deep obligations to him by coming forward with 
the monetary help necessary to enable further explorations to be 
made of the area at Lake Mulligan, in which immense quantities 
of fossil remains of extinct animals and birds are known to exist. 
The generous assistance thus rendered has come at the nick 
of time. The authorities of the South Australian Museum, 
recognising the importance of the discovery in the interests of 
science, have already done much to secure specimens of the bones 
which have been preserved from destruction ; but the funds at 
their disposal are limited, and, unaided, they would have been 
unable to have carried on excavations except upon a very 
moderate scale. Owing to the munificence of Sir Thomas Elder, 
the search party, under charge of Mr. Hurst, which has succeeded 
in sending down a sufficient number of specimens to whet the 
