THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST ee AS: 
lives, "and the wondrous habits of plants and insects and 
animals, the inter-relation and inter-dépendence of these, 
that arouse our wonder and control the imagination which 
they aid. 
It is urged that science has made the pace so fast 
to-day, will accelerate it so much in the future, that it will 
be a world of shaken nerves, with a prospect of new nerve 
disorders. Science has her corrective in the Naturalist. 
You must put on the mantle of patience and wait for 
Nature to unfold her many mysteries. You must watch with 
concentrated attention, but Nature never hurries. All 
those qualities which make a true manhood and woman- 
hood are expressed in the work of the true Naturalist; 
the’ discipline which comes from ordered. thought and 
careful observation and research; the sympathy which is 
essential to true knowledge everywhere. We cannot know 
our fellows rightly without sy mpathy, which leads to in- 
sight, and we can never succeed in naturalistic work with- 
out the same sympathy.. We must get’ into touch with | 
Nature, breathe that strange indescribable yet communic- — 
able spirit which pervades her. All the correctives necessary 
in the great advances of science are to be found in the 
Naturalist. Let me ask you, as I proceed to a conclusion, ‘ 
would it be possible, if all men had been led in youth 
to an intimate acquaintance with Nature, had heard the 
grand majestic symphony of ocean in their ears, had 
listened to the musie of running streams, the laughter of the 
winds; had caught the tyricals voice of Nature, and wan- 
dered observantly, thoughtfully amidst her thousand mar- 
vels, that such a war would be possible? I answer un- 
hesitatingly No!! Political institutions, social conventions, 
theology—all branches of thought—will be brought before 
the bar of human investigation as this great and awful 
conflict draws to an end. Science, through the Naturalist, 
will fear nothing, and answer clearly and convincingly for 
itself. - 
_ For us, as a body of Naturalists, there is much work to 
do. I have referred little to the fact that by our work 
we add to the world’s knowledge little by little, doing our 
part in the great work which, steadily systematised, makes 
the great body of scientific knowledge ; but I have pointed 
out that our work has even a higher aim. It is for us to 
