ea ee ee 
The Australian Naturali st 
Vol. V. JANUARY 2, 1923. Part 5. 
NOTE.—Members having any matter of interest suitable for public- 
ation tn these pages are requested to communicate with the Editor. 
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 
By Agnes A. Brewster. 
Delivered August 1, 1922. 
Before giving my address I propose to give a few im- 
pressions of the Society viewed from the broader standpsint of 
President. The outlook seems very encouraging... After the 
great depression of the active interests of the Society during 
the Great War, the Society is gradually getting back to its 
normal condition. Old faces are seen here again, and there are’ 
many new members, some of whom give promise to become 
active members, and so keep up the supply: of leaders and 
councillors. As Mr. A. A. Hamilton so strongly urged in his 
Presidential Address some years ago (Aust. Nat. IIL, p. 212, 
1917) there must be the working up of younger members to take 
the place of older leaders, who often have to give most of their 
time and energy to wider fields. Thus, it has been most grati- 
fying to see in the Journal, papers by Miss Heather. Drum- 
mond, and Miss Hilda Butler: the writing up of an excursion 
by Miss Thistle Harris; the acceptance of the position of 
Librarian by Miss Marjorie Holland, B.Se., and the lecture given 
before the Society by Miss Heather Drummond. In experi- 
mental work I might mention specially Miss Siegal, who is 
studying the Lepidoptera, and Miss Rose Winter, whose papers 
on “Slaters” and “Geckos” were a delight, for they showed 
patient and steady work, combined with accurate records. ‘It is 
rather a pity more members do not engage in experimental work 
for there is often a fresh observation made, even when the 
general life history has been already worked out. Often valu- 
able natural history knowledge is spread by exhibits, and 
Misses Steinbeck, Le Plastrier, McAnene, Ashton, and Mrs. 
Haussmann have given us some very good ones; while Mr. 
Gallard, Mr. Zeck and Mr: Watson have supported the Ento- 
mological side by valuable and uncommon exhibits. 
