212 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 
WORK FOR FIELD NATURALISTS. 
(By A. A. Hamilton.) 
It is a moot question as to how far it is advantageous 
for a society of Field Naturalists to adopt a ‘‘ Medes: and 
Persians’’ attitude towards rule and regulation. Aus- 
tralian commuuities have occasionally been adversely cri- 
ticised for their lack of organisation, yet we nnd in many 
instances the cohesive faculty strongly developed, where- 
as, if a hard and fast system had been adopted, it would 
probably have proved too irksome for many of our liberty 
loving people. It is possible, however, to carry our indi- 
vidualistic propensities to such a length that the useful- 
ness of a society may be considerably impaired, and this 
brings us face to face with the problem as to whether 
the lines on which our Society is conducted are wholly, or 
in part, too rigid or too elastic. It certainly appears from 
our Annual Reports that although we receive a consider- 
able influx of members, we are unable to hold them. The 
Society has lost much of its earlier character. It was 
originally an association the majority of whose members 
were expert scientists, in fine, a field replica of the Lin- 
nean Society. Many of the earlier members, while still 
retaining their membership, have drifted out of the sphere 
of our activities, and the majority of those who now form 
the Society are more or less amateur scientists, perhaps 
better described as ‘‘Nature-Lovers,’’ who require guid- 
ance to enable them to follow the complex methods adopted 
by ‘‘Dame Nature,’’ in her wondrous provision for the 
continuity of her numerous races, and the protection dur- 
ing their brief span of existence of her fauna and flora. 
This change has set up a new relation of members to each 
other, and the position now disclosed is that of a section 
consisting largely of experts disseminating information on 
subjects relating to Natural Science to others who haye 
had little or no training in systematic nature study. 
Briefly, the function of the Field Naturalists’ Society has 
become largely educative, a fact which the Department of 
Edueation has recognised by granting us the use of this 
fine Assembly Hall, wherein to hold our meetings. While 
a considerable numerical membership continues, and a fair 
