THE society's HERITAGE PROM THE MACLEAYS. 581 



At a meeting of the Zoological Society of London, on May 12th, 1835 — "A 

 letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by A. MacLeay, Esq., Colonial Secre- 

 tary, New South Wales, dated Sydney, October 25, 1834. It stated that the 

 writer had, in consequence of the application made to him, set on foot inquiries 

 respecting that interesting Bird of New Zealand, the Apteryx Australis Shaw, and 

 that he had succeeded in obtaining a skin of it (destitute, however, of the legs), 

 which he had forwarded to the Society. The specimen was exhibited, and further 

 particulars given [Proc. Zool. Soc, iii., p. 61]. The notice ends thus: — "He con- 

 cludes by expressing his intention of forwarding to the Society the white-fleshed 

 Pigeon of the Colony, which, he conceives, would be a great acquisition in Eng- 

 land: it is certainly, he says, far superior to Partridge." 



Shortly before his decease, the late Mr. R. Etheridge, Junr., Director and 

 Curator of the Australian Museum, completed his inquiries into the early history 

 of the Museum, from official and other records. His paper, in two Parts, is 

 entitled "The Australian Museum: Fragments of its early History," for unfor- 

 tunately the earliest records are not as complete as could be wished . But he was 

 able to show that "a Museum, therefore, was evidently resolved on as early as 

 1827," and "that a Museum of some kind was established between the years 

 1827-9." He also says: "Whatever connection the Honbl. Alexander Macleay 

 had with the inception of the Australian Museum, there can be no doubt of his 

 long and lasting interest in the establishment; the old minutes prove this"' [Re- 

 • cords of the Australian Museum, Vol. xi., p. 67 (1916) ; xii., p. 339 (1919)]. 



In the obituary notice of Mr. Alexander Macleay, which appeared in the Syd- 

 ney Morning Herald of July 26th, 1848, the day after the funeral, it is stated 

 that — "He was always active in the management of colonial institutions : he was 

 President of the Australian Subscription Library, of the Benevolent Society and 

 the Infirmary; and was the founder of the Australian Museum." This statement 

 is repeated in Flanagan's "History of New South Wales [Vol. ii., p. 192 (1862)]. 



In regard to the location of the Colonial Museum in its early days, Mr. 

 Etheridge says: "It has been stated that the Museum occupied 'a small room 

 attached to the Legislative Council' [quoted from Fowles, "Sydney in 1848," p. 

 83], but like other of Fowles' statements, lacks confirmation, as I have been 

 unable to find any evidence in support" [p. 342] . Confirmatory evidence is to be 

 had however. For example, The Sydney Herald, No. 19, November 21st, 1831, p. 

 4, records the fact that — "The Sydney Museum has been removed from the Old 

 Post Office in Bent-street, to the spacious rooms over the Council Chamber in 

 Macquarie street." And it was there that Dr. George Bennett first saw it, in 

 August, 1832 — "In company with a friend, I visited the Colonial Museum, which 

 i"? arranged for the present in a small room, assigned for the purpose, in the 

 CouneU-House, and which had been recently established in Sydney." 



From Mrs. Boswell's narrative, it appears that Alexander Macleay spent his 

 eightieth birthday (June 24th, 1847) at Port Macquarie, during a visit to Major 

 and Mrs. Innes. It is mentioned that the visitor could speak Gaelic quite well, 

 that he was much pleased at being musically welcomed, on his arrival, by a piper, 

 who used to play for the special delectation of the guest as opportunity offered, 

 and that Mr. Macleay was entertained at luncheon on his birthday. 



Mrs. Macleay, bom 13th March, 1769, died a few weeks later, on 13th 

 August, 1847, after a happy union of more than fifty years. Her husband's long 

 and useful life ended less than a year afterwards, on 19th July, 1848, in his 



