PROCEEDINGS ^ 
OP THE 
LINNEAN SOCIETY 
OF 
:n^ea\^ south avales. 
Wednesday, 30tli March. 1921. 
The Forty-sixtli Annual General Meeting, together -with the Ordinary Monthly 
Meeting, was held in the Linnean Hall, Ithaca Ro.-id, Elizabeth Bay, on Wednesday 
erening, 30th March. 1921. 
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. 
Mr. ,J. J. Fletcher, M.A., B.Sc, President, in the Chair. 
The Minutes of thq preceding Annual General Meeting (31st March, 1920) 
■were read and confirmed. 
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 
During the past year there have been a number of events of more than usual 
interest to those who follow the trend of progi'ess in scientific affairs. The more 
important of these include (1) the placing of the Australian National Research 
Council on a permanent footing, (2) the permanent establishment of the Com- 
monwealth Institute of Science and Industry, (3) tlie first Pan-Pacific Scientific 
Conference, and (4) the renewal of the regular meetings of the Australasian Asso- 
ciation for the Advancement of Science. 
To the close observer these events have special significance, indicating as they 
do an increased tendency for sympathetic international co-operation in scientific 
affairs, and also reflecting, in Australia, the almost world-wide attempts that are 
being made to bring about closer and moi'e s\Tnpathetic relations between Science 
and Industry than have existed in the past. 
La.st year I drew your attention to the preliminary steps fliat had been 
taken towards, the formation of an Australian National Research Council to work 
2 president'.s aodress. 
in conjunction with the International Hesearcli Council. A provisional (.'ouncil 
bad been nominateii. with a small executive, to hold office until the meetinj; of the 
Australasian Association for tlie A<lvancement of Science in January livst. At this 
meeting the uece^sary steps were tiikeu to place tlie Research Council on a per- 
manent footing, and the following resolutions were agreed to : — 
1. The Resolutions of the Conference held in Sydney on 21st August, li)l!), 
shall cease to he operative from this day, 15th Jan. 1921. 
2. The National Research Cimncil shall consist of not more than 100 mem- 
bers and shall ccmtain two or more representatives of each of the fol- 
lowing branches of Science and of such othei-s as may be determiiied 
from time to time by the General Council of tiie Australasian Associa- 
tion for tiie Advancement of Science. [List of Branches as in Resolu- 
tion 3, with addition of Economics and Statistics and of Mental Science 
and Education. It was also decided to add a Section of Mining and 
Metallurgy (with Me.s-srs. R. C. Sticht and G. C. Klug a.s rejiresenta- 
tives)]. 
3. The members of tlie provisional Council are hereby clecte<i members of 
the Research Council, together with Mr. G. H. Knibbs and Mr. G. 
Lightfoot (representing Economics and Statistics), and Professor Labv. 
4. The members as defined in Clause 3 sliall co-opt additional members 
within the numerical limit pres<-ribed in rule 2, and shall select such 
additional members in consultation with the Presidents of the more im- 
portant Scientific, Techni<'al and learned Associations and Societies of 
the Commonwealth. 
5. The Council may appoint as Associate members, scientific workers resi- 
dent in Australia who are deemed likely to confer benefit by their re- 
searches. 
6. The Council may appoint such standing Committees and Special Com- 
mittees as it deems reciuisite for national or inter-national purposes. 
7. The Council may appoint such office-bearers as it may determine. These 
shall hold office for a term of two years and be re-eligible. 
8. A meeting of the memliers as defined in Clause 3, shall be held at Sydney, 
not later tiian May, 1921, for the purposes indicated in rule 4, and 
a meeting of tlie whole Council so constituted sliall meet as soon as pos- 
sible thereafter for the purposes indicated in rules ,5, (i, 7 and for the 
formulation of by-laws and any other uecessaa\v business. 
9. Members unable to attend any such meeting mav cominuni<ate their 
views beforehand in writing to the Hon. Sec. and all such cotniniinications 
shall receive full consideration at the meeting. 
10. Every member and Associate member shall retain his membership for 
life unless it be terminated (1) by his resignation, (2) by his ceiusing to 
reside in Australia, (3) by vote of at least two-thirds of the members. 
1 1 . The Council shall submit a full report of its work and proceedings to the 
Austrahusian Association for the Advancement of Science on the occasion 
of each meeting of the Association. 
12. Until other arrangements are made for the financial supixirt (d' the 
Council, each member thereof shall lie liable to contriliute the sum of 
£2 2s. per annum, and each Associate member £1 Is. per ;uinmii. 
13. That the Provisional Executive Committee be asked to continue to act 
pro tem. till the Council has appoint^'d its office-bearers. 
prii;sidkn't'.s address. 3 
Supplementary. 
a. Resolution 3 of 21st August, 1919, reads as follows: — 
"That the hranchas of science to be represented include: — Agricul- 
ture, Anthropology, Astronomy, Botany, Chemistry. Engineering, Geo- 
gTaphy, Geology, Mathematics, Meteorology, Pathology, Physics, Physio- 
logy, Veterinary Science, Zoology." 
b. The provisional executive committee appointed at the same time is as 
follows :— Professor Sir Edgeworth David, K.B.E., U.S.O.. D.Sc, 
F.R.S. (Chairman), Mr. K. H. Cambage, F.L.S. (Honorary Secre- 
tary), Professor H. G. Chapman, M.D., Mr. J. H. Maiden, F.R.S., 
Professor J. A. Pollock, D.Sc, F.R.S. 
The Bill for the establishment of the Commonwealth Institute of Science and 
Industry has, after much delay, become law, and the Institute is now on a per- 
manent footing. Unfortunately, the general necessity for economy has resulted 
in a consideraljle curtailment, i)oth as regariis funds and personnel, compared with 
the intentions of some two or tiiree years ago. The present functions and scheme 
of woi'king of the Institute may perliaps be best expressed by the following two 
sections of the Bill : — 
5. The Institute sliall establish (a) a Bureau of Agriculture; (6) a Bureau 
of Industries; and (c) such other bureaux as the Governor-General de- 
tennines. 
G. The Goveruor-GeiU'ial may ap[)niiit a General Advisory Council and Ad- 
visory Boards in each State to advise the Director with regard to (a) 
the general business of the In.stitute or any bureau thereof; and (h) any 
particular matter of investigation or research. 
The scoi^e for such an Institute is unlimited ; a high standard has been .set 
by the Advisory Council, a temporary body which has cai'ried on the work for 
some yeai-s past, and in wishing the permanent Institute success, we can only 
Lope that this standard may be maintained or perhaps even surpassed. 
An event of considerable importance to science in Australia was the first 
Pan-Pacifie Scientific Conference. Iield in Honolulu in August, 1920. This 
Conference was convened by the Pan-Pacitic Union, the general idea being to 
stimulate the consideration of scientific problems connected with the Pacific Ocean 
and the countries bordering it. Witli this object, invitations were issued to scien- 
tific workers and scientific institutions in countries bordering the Pacific, and as a 
result some 110 delegates attended the first Conference, including representatives 
from the Hawaiian Islands, Canada, United States of America, Australia, New 
Zealand, Philippine Islands, China and Japan. Apart from the discussion of 
scientific problems, preliminary steps were taken to set up a permanent organisa- 
tion designed for the advancement of the common interests of tlie Pacific, includ- 
ing scientific research. Pending the establishment of this permanent body, a pro- 
visional Council was elected consisting of one representative from each of the 
countries mentioned above except China. The Australian representative on this 
Council is Mr . E . C . Andrews. Government Geologist of New South Wales. 
This organisation paves the way for helpful co-operation between Institutions 
and Governments in the various countries bordering the Pacific in working our 
common jiroblems; should it succeed in becoming permanently estal)lislied we may 
expect great advances towards the elucidation of the many scientific problems so 
intimately associated with the Pacific Ocean and its borders . 
4 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 
Jt is pniposed to holil triennial meetings, anil there is a pussiliility of the 
next meeting- being held in Wellington, N.Z. Australia had six representatives 
at the Ilonululu meeting, four of them — Dr. L. A. Cotton, Messrs. E. C. Andrews, 
C. Hedley and C. A. Sussmilch — Ijeiug Members of this Society, the other two 
being Professors F . Wood- Jones, of Adelaide, and H . C. Richards, of Brisbane. 
The fifteenth meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement 
of Science, the fii-st since 1913 — no meeting having been held during the War — 
was to have been held in Hobait in .January. As a result of the dislocation of 
shipping by strikes, a change of plans became necessary at the last minute, and 
the meeting wiis held in Melbourne. Despite the short notice and the unfavour- 
able conditions resulting from the strike the meeting was a highly successful one. 
Many important and interesting discussions took place both on the papers 
presented and on special subjects. One very urgent matter brought forward, a 
subject in which this Society is especially interested, was the need for some 
organisation to provide for the systematic working out of our fauna and flora, 
more particularly those sections of it which are being rapidly exterminated. The 
Biology Section recommended the fonnation of an Inter-State Committee com- 
posed of representatives of all the various Societies concerned with the study 
of natural history and the preservation of our flora and fauna, whose duty it 
would be to organise, each in its own State or locality, the carrying out of special 
investigations. Sir Baldwin SjX'ncer luis further called attention to the urgency 
of this subject in the Victorian Naturalist for Febniary, 1921, pp. 120-122. Re- 
feiTing more particularly to the land and fresh-water fauna, he says (pp. 120-1) : 
— "Settlement and bush-fires are interfering disastrously with the land and fresh- 
water fauna, and yet it is perhaps the most interesting in any part of the world. 
Important as is the study of the marine fauna, we must, from a scientific point 
of view, realize very clearly the fact that this will evei- be with us, and we can 
investigate it at our leisure; but the land and fresh-water fauna is disappearing 
rapidly, and unless we now make an organised effort it will be too late to study it 
effectually, and future generations will wonder what manner of people we were not 
to leave behind us some ade(|uate record of the marvellously interesting forms of 
jininial life which we had succeeded in exterminating." 
We cannot but admit the seriousness of the position from the scientific point 
of view, and it behoves us, not only as a Society, but .i.s individuals interested in 
Natural History, to do all in oni- ))iiwer to assist such a movement as that pro- 
j)osed . 
Tlie magnificent be(|uest of the late Sii' Sanuiel McCaughey to the Univei'sity 
of Sydney has allowed, amongst other things, the establishment of a number of 
additional Chairs and Lectureshi))s. Of these we are particularly interested in the 
appointment of an Associate Professor of Geography and of a Lecturei- in Ento- 
mology. Geography is one of the subjects in which a Linnean Macleay Fellow- 
ship may be awarded, and there is little doubt that under the guidance of Pro- 
fessor Griffith Taylor, himself a man of distinguished researches in his subject, 
there will spring up a school of students eager for the opportunity of conduct- 
ing research in this rather neglected br.inch of science in Australia. Our little 
hand of enthusi.ostic workers in Entomology has accomplished work of a high 
standard in the past, but with the field so wide and the workers so few the diffi- 
culties have been great. We tlie«'fore heartily welcome the prospect of an op- 
portunity being provided by which students may obtain a systematic training in 
the subject, and look foi-ward to notable developments in this very import.int 
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 
branch, uot only on its purely scientific side, but also in its economic application. 
The Special Meeting held on 14th June last in Commemoration of tlie centen~ 
ary of the birth of Sir William Macleay, the Society's benefactor, was a very 
successful function. As one of the results we have now on record (in Part iv. of 
the Proceedings for 1920) a detailed historical record of the Society's interest in 
Ale.xander, William Sharp, and George Macleay. 
The Society's Honour Roll was unveiled at the above meeting by Professor 
Wilson, and now hangs in the Hall as a permanent record of the names of tliose 
Members of the Society who served the Nation abroad during the Great War. 
The Roll is the work of Mr. Hardy Wilson, who has furnished the following 
explanation of the design : — 
"1 have used Roman lettering surrounded by the Roman roll and bead; the 
whole design contained within an adaptation of the Roman egg and dart orna- 
ment. 
In the coloured border are introduced ancient Chinese symbols. At the cor- 
ners are endless knots which signify eternal or everlasting. From the knot.s de- 
pend strings of Bay leaves, sjTubols of honour. At the centre of each side is a 
very ancient Chinese sign, representing Victory. Thus the border may he read: — 
Everlasting Honour for their Victory. 
Adjoining are conventionalised bats. The bat is a favourite device in old 
Chinese Art, and signifies happiness. At the angles is a peach, another old sign, 
for longevity. This margin, then, may be read: — 
Wishing them long life and happiness." 
A coloured reproduction of the Roll accompanies Part iv. of the Proceedings 
for 1920 as a frontispiece. 
On the occasion of the visit of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales to Sydney in 
June last the Council decided to present to His Royal Highness an address of 
loyalty and welcome on behalf of tlie Members of the Society. The text of the 
address, as oflieially approved, was as fV)llows : — 
"We, the Members of the Linnean Society of New South Wales — a Society 
founded in 1874 to develop the study of the Natural History of Australia, as its 
great English prototype, the Linnean Society of London, has done to encourage 
that of the Natural History of the British Isles — desire to be allowed to offer to 
Your Royal Highness, with all due respect, this brief record of our loyalty to the 
Throne, of the pleasure evoked liy tlie visit of Your Royal Highness as the repre- 
sentative of our revered Sovereign, and our respectful greetings and sincere wishes 
for an enjoyable and fructif^dng visit, and for the welfare of Your Royal High- 
ness." 
The concluding Part of Volume xlv. of the Society's Proceedings was issued 
on 7tli March. The complete volume (0.53 and xxi. pp., 32 Plates, and 138 Text- 
figures) contains thirty-two papers, nine of which were contributed liy memliers of 
the Society's research staff. This completes the fii-st volume in the new size, and 
the result of the change in size may be considered wholly satisfactory. 
The greatly increased cost of scientific publications has been the cause of 
much worry to Councils of scientific Societies the world over (S(?e Nature, Oth 
May, 1920, p. 285), and in very many cases it has been found necessary to 
greatly restrict publication or to raise subscriptions. We are indeed fortunate, 
and we should acknowledge our debt in this respect to our Benefactor, Sir Wil- 
liam Macleay, in having been able to carry on with only very little restriction in 
the amount of printing. The issue of the Monthly Abstract of Proceedings was 
6 presidekt's address. 
discontinued lioiu July, lUlti, to October, ISJl'J, but the I'loccfdinj^ have been 
issued uninteiTuptedly, and have suffered no reduction in volume. 
One of the most serious consequences to the scientific community of this in- 
crease in the cost of publishing was the possibility of the discontinuance of the 
publication of the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature. An inter- 
national conference, convened by the Royal Society of London, met to consider 
this matter last year. They came to the conclusion that, "even though a ciuxnge 
be made in the future in the method of indexing, it is imperative to continue the 
Intel-national Catalogue of Scientific Literature in its present form until the 
literature published up to tiie end of the year 1915, and possibly also that up 
to the end of the present year 1930, lia-s been catalogued. In this way the im- 
portant scientific work carried out during the War period will become available 
for reference at an early date and continuity in the work of indexing- be main- 
tained." (Nature, October 7, 1920, p. 195). This recommendation was to be 
placed liefore the Council of the Royal Society for consideration. 
In tile meantime efforts have been made to obtain additional subscribers to 
tlx' Catalogue, and also to ascertain whether foi-iner ]iurchasers would continue 
at the increased charges necessitated by the increased costs. It is the earnest 
hope of all concerned that the Royal Society may see its way clear to continue 
the issue of this invaluable publication. 
The question of the issue of the Catalogue for papers published after 1920 
■was referred to a committee of the delegates at fhe Royal Society's confei"ence for 
further consideration. 
Exchange-relations with Societies and Institutions show a more ilecided i-e- 
turn this year towards normal. The receipts for the Session amounted to 1003 
additions to tlie librai-y, being more than for the yeais immediately ])receding the 
War. This is, of course, due to the receipt of publications issued during the War 
by many Societies, etc., who were unable to despatch their volurae-s to us as they 
■were issued. In addition to the Belgian Societies to which I made special refer- 
ence liu-it year, we have resume<l cxcliange-relations with Societies in countries 
which have been cut off for exchange jiurposes for some years — these include Nor- 
way, Sweden. Finland, France, Holland, Hungary and Atistria — and we have also 
rtwumed exchanges with one German institution. 
During the year the following additions have been made to the li.st of journals 
obtained in exchange for the Society's Proceedings: — American Journal of Bot- 
.iny. Annals of the Durban Museum. Bulletin of tlio Public Museum of tlie City of 
Milwaukee, .(onrnal of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard ITniversity. .lournal of 
Experimenf.al Zoology, Journal of Morphology, Natural History (from the Ameri- 
can Museum of Natural History). Trabajos del Museo Nacional de Ciencias 
Naturales (Madrid). 
The scientific porticm of the library of the late F. M. Chnnents. l)e(|ueatlied 
by him to the Society, formed a very valuable addition to the librai-y, more parti- 
cularly to the oiiiitholog-ical section. In addition to a number of small books 
on electricity and a few medical works, this be(|uest included the following vol- 
umes:— Ball. Sir Robert, The Story of the Heavens (1905); Bentley, R., A 
Manual of Botany (1887) ; Blakston." W. A., Swaysland. W., and Wiener. A. F., 
The Book of Canaries and Cage Birds; Bonhote. .1. L.. Birds of Britain (1907); 
Brninowski. Gracius J.. Birds of Australia. Vols i.-vi.. (1890-1891); Buller, Sir 
AV. 1., Birds of New Zealand. Vols, i.-ii. (1888); Collinge. W. E.. The Food of 
Some British Wild Birds; A Study in Economic Ornitliology (1913) ; Department 
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 7 
of Mines, N.S.W., Palaeontology No. 4. The Fossil Fishes of the Hawkesbury 
Series at Gosford. By A. S. Woodward, F.Z.S., F.G.S. (1890); De.s Murs, 0., 
Iconosraphie Ornithologique, Pt. i, (1849) ; Dewar, Douglas, Indian Kirds (1910) ; 
Dixson, Charles, The Bird-Life of London (1909); Duncan, F. M., Our Insect 
Friends and Foes (1911); Fahre, J. H.. The Life and Love of the Insect 
(1914); Favene, Ernest, The History of Australian Exploration (1888); Forbes, 
George. History of Astronomy (1909) ; Froggatt, Gladys H., The World of Little 
Lives (1916); Fyfe, H. H.. South Africa To-day (1911); Gale. Albert, Aus- 
tralian Bee Lore and Bee Culture (1912); Aquarian Nature Studies (1915); 
Gosse, P. II., Illustrations of the Birds of .Jamaica (1849); The Birds of Ja- 
maica (1847) ; Gould, .!., Monograph of the Trocliilidae, Vols. i.-v. (1801) ; Hand- 
hook to the Birds of Australia, Vols, i.-ii. (1865) ; Gray, G. R., Hand-list of 
Genera and Species of Birds, Pts. i.-iii. (1869-1871) ; The Genera of Birds, Vols, 
i.-iii. (1844-1849); Green. J., Ocean Birds (1887); Greene, W. T., PaiTots in 
Captivity. Vols, i.-iii. (1884-1887); Haddon, A. C, Histoi-y of Anthropology 
(1910); Harmsworth Popular Science, Vols, i.-vii.; Haeckel, Ernest, The Evolu- 
tion of Man, Vols, i.-ii. (1910); Haeckel. Ernest, and Lankester, E. R., The 
History of Creation, Vols, i.-ii. (1883); Hopkins, G. M.. Experimental Science, 
Vols, i.-ii. (1902) ; .Johnston, Sir Harry, Liberia, Vols, i.-ii. (1906) ; Knox. A. E., 
Ornithological Rambles in Sussex (1850); Game Birds and Wild Fowl; Their 
Friends and Tlieir Foes (1850); Layard, E. L., and Sharpc. R. B., The Bii^ds 
of South Africa (1884); Leach, .J. A.. An Australian Bird Book (1916); Legge. 
Capt. W. v.. Birds of Ceylon. Vols, i.-ii. (1880) ; Lloyd. L.. Tlie Game Birds and 
Wild Fowl of SAveden and Norway ( 1867 ) ; Lucas, A . H . S . , and Le Souef, 
W. H. D., The Animals of Australia (1909); The Birds of Australia (1911); 
Lyell, Charles, Principles of Geology, Vols, i.-iii. (1840); M.arriner, G. R., The 
Kea: A New Zealand Problem (1908); Mathews, G. M., A List of the Birds of 
Australia (1913); Morris, B. R., British Game Birds and Wild Fowl (1891); 
Morris, Rev. F. O.. A History of British Birds, Vols, i.-vi. (1895-1897); Mon-is, 
Rev. F.O.. and Tegetme.ier, W. B.. Nests and Eggs of British Birds, Vols, i.-iii. 
(1896); Mueller, Baron F. von, Euealyptographia (1884); Osborn, H. P.. Men 
of the Old Stone Age (1918) ; Parker, T. J., and Haswell. AV. A., A Text-Book 
of Zoolog>% Vols, i.-ii. (1910); Pescott. E. E.. The Native Flowers of Victoi-ia; 
Proceedings of tlie Zoological Society of London. 1918, Pts. iii.-iv. (1919) ; Ran- 
dall-Maciver, D.. Mediaeval Rhodesia (1906) ; Roughley, T. C, Fishes of Aus- 
tralia and tlieir Technology (1916); Sclater, P. Jj., A MonogTaph of the .Jaea- 
mars and Puff Birds (1879-1882) ; Selous, F. C, African Nature Notes and Re- 
miniscences (1908); Shelley. Capt. G. E.. Sun-Birds (1876-1880); Smith, R. B., 
Bird Life and Bird Lore (1909) ; Sulman. Florence, The Wildflowers of N.S.W., 
Vol. ii. (1914) ; Swainson, W.. A Selection of the Birds of Brazil and Mexico 
(1841); Thomas. H. H., The Rose Book (1913); Thompson, W., The Natural 
History of Ireland, Vols, i.-iii. (1849-1851); Thorington, J., Refraction and How 
to Refract (1911); Thorpe, Sir Edward. History of Chemistry, Vols, i.-ii. (1909- 
1910); Turner, Fred, Australian Grasses, Vol. i. (1895); Weber, C. 0., The 
Chemistry of India Rubber (1903) ; Wood, Rev. .J. G.. Insects at Home (1883) ; 
Wonderful Nests (1887); Woodward. H. B.. History of Geology (1911); Yar- 
rell. William. A History of British Birds, Vols, i.-iii. (1843). 
The Society has also received during the year copies of Botanical Magazine 
(16 vols.) and "Histoire Naturelle" (3 vols., published 1750), ))equeathed to it by 
the late E. R. Deas Thomson. 
b PRESIDEKT S ADDRESS. 
During the year sixteen Ordinary Members were elected, two reisigned, and 
one died. In addition, tliree namet- Lave been removed from the list, and news 
has been received of the decease of one of our members in England. The number 
of Ordinary Jlembers now on the roll is 159. 
Frederick Moore Clements, an Englishman by birtii. died at Stanmore on 
19th August, 1920, at the ag'e of 63 years. He spent thei early part of his life 
in Birmingham, where he ser\-ed his apprenticeship to a chemist. After spending 
about a year in South Africa, he ciime to Sydney towards the end of 1881. He 
was elected a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of New South Wales in 1884, 
and of tlic Phannaceutical Society of Australasia in 1891. Mr. Clements was a 
man who attained considerable eminence in his profession, being perhaps best 
known for his nuxnufacture of Clements' Tonic for which purpose be erected a 
large factory at Enmore, selling a greater part of his interest to a company in 
1906. He made a special s-tudy of and took great interest in the application of 
tleetricity in his profession. Apart from his profession lie was a man of many 
hobliies, amongst which were included a very keen interest in both botany and 
ornithology. He was elected a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London 
(1910), of the Linneau Society of London (1917), and of the Royal Geographical 
Society of London (1919), and a member of this Society in 1911. His great 
interest in botany and ornithology is shown by the many rare plants in his tine 
garden at Stanmore and by his aviary, as well as being retlected in his library. 
Although we never had the privilege of seeing him at our meetings, we know 
that he took some interest in the Society by retison of his having Ijequeathcd to 
it tlie scientific portion of his library and two ])ictui-os. This magnificent bei|uest 
consists of over one hundred volumes on natural science, a list of which is given 
above (pp. 6, 7), in addition to a large number of medical and electrical works. 
His broad human sympathies are indicated by the wide scope of his bequests 
to charitable and other institutions, among which may be noted Dr. Barnardo's 
Homes, The Ragged School I'nion, Tlie National Institute for the Blind, and Tlic 
Royal Humane Society. 
Thomas de Gray, sixth Baron Walsingham, who became a member of tbis 
Society in 1892, died on 3rd Deceral)cr, 1919. He was the greatest authority on 
the Miorolepidoptera of the World, and we take the following summary from 
Entomological News (May, 1920, xxxi.. No. 5) :— He wiis born in Mayfair, Lon- 
don, July 29, 1843, went to Eton in 18.50, and to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 
ISOO. The University made him l'..A. in 1805, M.A. in 1870, and High Steward 
and LL.D in 1891. He was a nuMuber ot tiie House of Commons for West Nor- 
folk, 18G5-1870, .succeeding to tlie title and estates of his father in tlic latter year. 
He was appointed a Trustee of the British Museum in 1870, and to it be gave his 
entomological library and collectinns in 19111. These consisted very largely of 
Lepidoptera, both imagines and larvae, esi)ecially of the Microdepidojitera. 
He Wius elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1887, and was President of 
the Entomological Society of London, 1889-90. 
The Rev. W. W. Watts was born on 5tli (Ktobcr, 1850, near Ivybridge, 
Devonshire, England. He was a student at New College, London, for six years, 
preparing for the Congregational ministry. He was ordained and held a charge 
at Stratford-on-Avon, but, ill-health having supervened, he came In .Niistralia and 
settled at Milton. Queensland. The AoihIs of 1893 destroyed both church and 
house, and he went to New Zealand, whei-e lie began his fii-st studies on ferns and 
mosses. He w;is resident in New South Wales for many years, and. having be- 
PRESIDENT S ADDKESS, » 
come a Presbyterian Minister, he received a charge in the Richmond River dis- 
trict, where he hud great facilities for his special botanical studies. Later, he 
settled in the Sydney district, at Gladesville, and was Honorary Custodian of 
Ferns and Mosses in the National Herbarium from 1909 till 1916, when lie left 
for Melbourne. He was liberal in his contributions to the National Herbarium, 
and after his death, which took place at Canterbury, Victoria, on 20th Septem- 
ber, 1920, his collection of ferns and mosses, which containe<l a large number of 
types, was purchased for that institution. 
He was a member of this Society from 1912 to 1919, and contributed 14 
pa])ers, in addition to 5 joint papers, during the years 1899 to 1918. The ma- 
jority of these dealt with Australian Mosses and Hepatics, adding considerably to 
our knowledge of these groups in Australia. I am indebted to Mr. J. H. 
Maiden for very kindly supplying much of the above information. 
Two more of our older Members, Messrs. A. A. Hamilton and H. G. 
Smith, have joined tiiose who have retired from their official duties. Mr. 
Hamilton has for a number of years been Botanical Assistant at the Botanic 
Gardens, and has taken especial interest in the ecological side of botanical work. 
Mr. Smith has been associated with Mr. R. T. Baker at the Technological 
Museum, where their joint researches, such as those on the Eucalypts and Pines 
of Australia, have commanded worldwide notice, and have done much to foster 
the development of the economic possibilities of portions of the Australian flora. 
To Mr. R. T. Baker, who has recently been h<moured by the award of the 
Mueller Memorial Medal by the Australasitui Association for the Advancement of 
Science, I would offer on behalf of Members, very cordial congratulations. Mr. 
Baker's work is well known to us, and it is particularly appropriate that his 
botanical researches should be recognised by this award which connnemorates the 
work of one of the most 'distinguished Australian Botanists. Previous recipients of 
the medal include A. W. Howitf (1904), J. P. Hill (1907), T. W. Edgeworth 
David (1909), R. Etheridge, -Jr. (1911), and W. Howchin (191.3). three of them 
having been Members of this Society. 
To the following Members we offer our cordial con gTatulat ions and good 
wishes: — Dr. Robert Broom, a CoiTesponding Member, on his election as a Fellow 
of the Royal Society; Sir Edgeworth David and Mr. ,T. H. Campbell on the 
honour conferred on them by His Majesty the King in their inclusion in the list 
of recipients of Honours of tli« British Empire Order; Professor ,1. T. Wilson, 
on his appointment as Regius Professor of Anatomy in the University of Cam- 
liridge; Professor H. G. Chapman, on his appointment as Professor of Physio- 
logy in the University of Sydney in succession to the late Professor Anderson 
Stuart; Mr. A. H. S. Lucas, on his appointment as Headmaster of the Sydney 
Grammar School; Dr. E. W. Ferguson, who has been appointed Principal 
Microbiologist in succession to Professor .J. B. Cleland; Dr. H. Priestly, on his 
appointment as Associate Professor of Physiology in the University of Sydney; 
Dr. C. Anderson, on his selection for the important position of Director of the 
Australian Museum; and Mr. C. Hedley, on his appointment as Principal Keeper 
of the Zoological Collections in the same Institution. 
The year's work of the Society's research staff may be summarised thus : 
Dr. I?. Greig-Smith, Madeay Bacteriologist to tlie Society, contributed one 
paper, "Ropiness in Wattle Bark Infusions," which appeared in Part i. of the 
Proceedings for 1920. A further examination was made of the bacteria con- 
tained in nodules at the base of Eucalyptus seedlings; a varied flora was obtained 
10 president's address. 
from these nodiiles, including some organisms which may possibly be the B. tiime- 
facieiis of Erwin F. Smith, or perhaj^s the Rhizobimn of the Leguminosae, and 
othei-s that differ in licjuefyLng gelatine. As far a:? the examination was carried 
each nodule appeared to have a flora of its own. Infection experiments with the 
bacteria so obtained gave entirely negative results. An investigation into the 
fermentation of the tan-bark used in connection with the corrosion of white lead 
resulted in the discovery of bacteria which grow actively at 60° C. ; and some 
proof was obtained of the fermentation by this high temperature organism which 
slso ferments sugar under certain conditions. The results obtained to date form 
the subject of a jaaper which is ready for publication. A short note has also been 
prepared on "the extraction of acids from cultures" being the outcome of an un- 
successful attempt to obtain tartaric acid from the fermentation of sugar. At- 
tempts were also made, but without success to obtain a glucoside from the activity 
of wattle-bark bacteria, and to obtain eugenol from leaves of Melaleuca containing 
raethyl-eugenol, by yeast fermentation. 
The Council has granted Dr. Greig-Smith leave of absence during 1921 for 
the purpose of visiting Eurojie and getting into touch with the more prominent 
workei-s in the l)acteriological laboratories there. 
Dr. J. M. Petrie, Linnean Macleay Fellow of tlie Society in Biochemistry, 
completed his cliemical examination of the leaves of Macrozamia spiralis, the re- 
sults appearing in Part iii. of the Proceedings for 1920; he was unable in this 
)nvt>stigation to identify any of the chemical constituents with the syinptoms of 
poisoning observed in long-continued feeding of animals with the leaves. The 
general investigation of Cyanogenesis in Plants was contintied. Part iv. "Tlie 
Hydrocyanic Acid of Heterodendron oleaefolia — A Fodder Plant of New South 
Wales," appeai'ing in Part iii. of the year's Proceedings. Future work in this 
subject has for its object the detei-mination of the factors concerned with the 
storage of cyanogenetie glucosides as reserve food-material and the conditions 
under which these may become poisonous. The leaves of the poisonous plant, 
Erythrophloeum from Darwin have been investigated, and a very small ([uantity 
of an alkaloid obtained from them. The alkaloid is a mast powerful poison, and 
an attempt is being made to ascertain its definite pharmacological action on 
animals. During the early part of the year Dr. Petrie's work was unfortunately 
inteiTupted by a severe attack of pneumonia and chi-ouic bronchitis which took 
some months to pass off. 
Miss Vera Irwin Smith, Linnean Mju-leay Fellow of the Society in Zoology 
has continued her studies of Xcmatodcs mid of the life-histories of Brachycerous 
Diptera. The family Stratiomyiidae is l)eing dealt with first, being of special 
intcre-st because of the peculiar intennediate position it occupies between the 
Orthorrhapha and Cyclorrhapha. The first results of this study have been em- 
bodied in a paper on the life-history of Metoponia rubrieeps, which appeared in 
Part iv. of the Proceedings for 1920. A second paper, dealing with the mouth 
parts of the same insect, is in course of preparati(m. Attempts are also being 
made to breed it through from the r^i:. The families Mydaidae, There\idae and 
Asilidae arc also under observation, many larvae iiaving been collected and bred 
thnmgii to various stages. Miss Smith's studies of the Nematodes have result«l 
in the completion of one paper, "The Nematode Parasites of the Domestic Pigeon 
in Australia," which also appeared in Part iv. of the year's Proceedings. It is 
her intention to continue these studies and deal in the same way with the jiara- 
sites of the goat, chicken and lizard in .\ustralia. 
president's address. 11 
Miss Marjorie I. Collins, Linnean Maeleay Fellow of the Society in Botany, 
lias eontributed two papers to the Proceedings during the year — "Note on Certain 
Variations of the Sporoeyst in a species of Saproleii'uia," and "On tlie Structure 
of the Resin- Secreting Glands in some Australian Plants,'' the observations for 
both papere having been made while she was demonstrating in Butany in the 
University of Adelaide. 
Miss Collins has continued her observations on the secretion of resin in the 
bud of some Australian plants and the resultant phenomenon of "leaf-laequeriug," 
common in xer<)|)hytic floras. At the same time she has also devoted some of her 
time to an ecological study of the mangi-ove and saltmarsh vegetation at Cabbage 
Tree Creek, Port Hacking. The encroaehment of certain i)lant a.ssociations upon 
the partially drained salt-marsh has been observed, and samples of tlie soil collect- 
ed from suitable plaees on the mangrove and salt-marsh area.s have been investi- 
gated. In continuation of this side of her work, Miss Collins proposes to select 
another area for detailed ecological study, preferably a region with low annual 
rainfall . • 
Six applications for Linnean Mardeay Fellowships, 1021-22, were received in 
response to the Council's invitation of 27th October, 1920. I have now the plea- 
sure of making the firet public announcement of the Council's re-appointment for 
another year from 1st April, 1921, of Dr. J. M. Petrie, Miss V. Irwin Smith 
and Miss Marjorie 1. Collins to Fellowships in Biochemistry, Zoology, and Botany 
respectively; and of the appointment for one year of Miss Marguerite Henry, 
B.Sc, to a Fellowship in Zoology from 1st proximo. On behalf of the Society 
I have much pleasure in wishing them a very successful year's research. 
Miss Henry has already had sufficient experience of research work to justify 
our expectation that her proposed research on the Freshwater Entomostraca of 
Australia and New Zealand, with special reference to their ecological distribution 
will form a worthy addition to the growing volume of work accomplished by the 
Linnean Maeleay Fellows. 
Miss Henry graduated in Science at the University of Sydney in 1917 with 
second class Honours in both Zoology and Botany. The same year she was ap- 
pointed assistant-zoologist to the Committee of the Commonwealth Advisory 
Council of Science and Industry for the investigation of worm nodules in cattle, 
and has since been continuously engaged on this work. This investigation into the 
life-history of the parasitic Nematode (Onchncerca gihsoiii) has involved a wide 
search for the intermediary host, in the coui-se of which especial attention has 
been paid to tbe Tabanidae and freshwater Crustacea. As a result, apart from 
the routine work involved, she has published three original papers, two of them, 
"On some Australian Cladocera,'' and "On some Australian Freshwater Copepoda 
and Ostracoda,'' in the .Tournal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of N.S.W., 
and one (in collaboration with Dr. E. W. Ferguson), "Tabanidae from Camden 
Haven District. N.S.W." in Part iv. of our Proceedings for 1010. 
Dr. Walkom's duties as Secretary have allowed liira some time to continue his 
researches on Australian Fossil Plants, and during the year he has completed an 
account of the .Jnrassic Plants from Talbragar, N.S.W., which has just appeared 
as a memoir of the Geological Survey of N.S.W. He has alsQ almost com]ileted 
the examination of the Glossopteris Flora of Queensland, in the course of which 
he has discovered an extremely interesting association of seeds with leaves of 
Glossopteris. The association appears to be sufficiently close to warrant the as- 
sertion that the seeds are those of a species of Glossopteris, and should this be 
12 president's address. 
borne out, the dit^coveiy will be oue of considerable int-erest and impt>rtaneo in 
Palaeobotanj; for tliis reason, a sbort account of it has been prepared and for- 
warded for publication in England. A description of some Jurassic Plants from 
Western Australia, together with some notes on the occurreace of Otozaniites in 
Australia has been completed and will appear in the coming year's Proceedings. 
Is All Well with the Macleay Museum of the University or Sydney? 
Sir William RIacleay's scientific energy was directed into two main channels; 
and his efforts finally culminated in two important potentially fructifying enter- 
prises. On the one hand, with the generous assistance of the Government, a duly 
constituted Macleay Museum. On the other hand, the Linnean Society of New 
South Wales, endowed not only for the ordinary purposes of a Scientific Society, 
but in an especial manner for the encouragement of research-work in Natural 
History. In his own characteristic way, Sir William linked up these two great 
enterprises in such a way, that each of the two corporate bodies to whom these 
enterprises were committed upon trust, in perpetuity, should have a locu.« siavdi 
for a co-ordinate, reciprocal interest in what the otlier was doing with his Trust. 
Ever since it has been possible, the Linnean Society has given, in print, an 
annual report of its stewardship, and has distributed the same to all entitled to 
receive it. Where are the University's annual reports of its stewardship in con- 
nection witli the Macleay Museum? 
In 1873, Sir William offered the amalgamated collections of Alexander Mac- 
leay, W. S. Macleay, and his own, together with his scientific library, as a gift by 
bequest, upon trust, to the Univei-sity, for the promotion of natural history, and 
the instruction of students, and the inhabitants of the colony in the same. The 
sum of £()()()() was offered at the same time for the endowment of a Curatorship. 
At this time, the joint-collections of A. and W. S. Macleay amounted to 480 
drawers of insects and other Annulosa, and W. Madeay's own collection to 320 
drawers of insects. At this time Sir William had not appointed a Curator. Tlie 
Sen<ite gratefully accepted the offer. The ('liancellor nnnonnccd tlie offer, and its 
accejitance by the Senate, at the (^:)nunemoration in March. 1874. At this time 
too, tlie Linnean Society of New Soutli Wales had not lieen so mucli as thought of, 
nor was its establishment anticipated. 
After the offer had been made and accepteii. but b(>fnre the public announce- 
ment was made. Sir William decided to appoint a Curator, Mr. George Mastei-s, 
and decided to convert his own entomological collection into a general collecticm, 
not only of Australian, but also of non-Australian Vei-tebrata, and Invertebrata; 
and for fifteen years, with the co-operation of Masters, he continued to carry out 
this intention. Why did he do tliis? To make the gift more worthy of acceptance 
by the University. 
In 188.5 or 1886, Sir AVilliam changed his mind about leaving his scientific 
library and llie ifacleay Collections as a he(|uest to the University. He withdrew 
bis offer of the library altogether, and re-offered the now much enlarged Macleay 
Collections as a gift during iiis life-time, if and ;is soon as a "suitable" l)uilding 
— not a room in a building — was provided for them. For two reasons, because his 
own collection had been so enlarged, that his private museum was overcrowded, 
and that he niiturally wished to li.ive an opportunity of appro\-ing of the suitability 
of the "suitable" building offered. He also offered to transfer his experienced 
Curator, and an endowment -fund of £6000 to provide the Curator's salary. 
president's address. 13 
The Senate, not having the money, approached the Government, and asked for 
its help to enable it to accept Mr. Maeleay"s mnnificent gift. The Government, 
knowing William Macleay, asked what he would approve of as a suitable building. 
His reply was, that he would approve of a fire-proof haU, 212 X 70 x 58 feet, with 
bays and a gallery all round, the iu'chitect's estimated cost of it being £16,000. 
The Government said the equivalent of. Certainly, you shall have it, go ahead 
forthwith ! 
When the building was finished in abou{ 1889 [exact date not available], and 
approved of by Sir William, he transferred the amalgamated Collections, now a 
general collection, and not merely a collection of insects and other Annulosa to 
the University, to be housed in tiie "suitalde" building, presented by the Govern- 
ment, together with his experienced and faithful Curator, George Mastere;, and 
paid over the sum of £6000, for the endowment of the Curator's salary. When 
the Collections had been suitably arranged, under the direction of the Professor 
of Biology with the co-operation of the Curator, as an exposition of the fauna of 
Australia, for which there was abundant material in the Collection, the Macleay 
Museum of the Univei-sity of Sydney \v;is duly constituted, in the technical sense. 
Thereupon, the University, ipso facto, became the Joint-Tiiistee of the Govern- 
ment and of Sir William Macleay, for the inhabitants of New Soutli Wales, in- 
cluding students and others. The Joint-Trustee's duties were to administer the 
Trust committed to him in terms of the Trust. Among other things, therefore 
(1) to preserve, maintain, and safeguard the standard, agreed-upon suitability of 
the "suitable" building, presented by the Government solely and expressly for 
housing the suitably aiTanged Macleay Collections, and any additions that might 
be made to them, in perpetuity; and to abstain from tampering with it, and 
finally, spoiling it. (2) To preserve, maintain, and safeguard, the integrity of 
the Macleay Collections, in perpetuity: and under all eircumstance.s to refrain 
from disiiipting them, in perpetuity. (3) To keep interlopers from taking up 
their ((uarters in the Macleay Museum buihling, whether by the front door, or by 
"an over-bridge" or "a bridge-corridor." in perpetuity. (4) When the Collections 
had been suitably arranged, to abstain from periodically disturbing them; and 
finally sweeping away the exposition of the Australian faima shown in the 
.Jubilee photograph, with the besom of ingratitude, and thereby insulting the 
memories of the distinguished Macleays ! 
The University historian values the ^^racleay Collections, on a money-basis 
as "roughly assessed at £25,000." With tlie building, and the endowment fund for 
the Curatorship, the didy constituted Macleay iluseum represented a benefaction 
of £47,000 ! 
To-day, and for some time past, the Macleay Museum has been deconstituted, 
and as an exposition of the fauna of Australia spoilt, because the suitability of 
the "suitable" building has been so drastically interfered with, that this has in- 
volved the disniption of the Macleay Collections. One of Sir William's great 
enterprises, potentially so fructifying if properly managed, has become bankrupt. 
It has been hamstrung, paralysed, shorn of its attractiveness and inspiration. 
Mr. .T. H. Campbell, Hon. Treasurer, presented the balance sheets for the 
year 1920. duly signed by the Auditor. Mr. F. H. Rayment. F.C.P.A., In- 
corporated Accountant; and he moved that it be received and adopted, which was 
carried unanimouslv.