620 president's address. 



'honour the bill.'"" W . S. Macleay complied with the request by sending a Umg 

 letter, "On the Bones brought to Sydney by Mr. Turner," dated December 2nd, 

 1847, to the Sydney Morning Herald . This, together with Mr. Clarke's letter, 

 and one by Dr. L. Leichhardt on the same subject, were afterwards republished 

 by Mr. Clarke as an appendix to his Report, No. x. [Further Papers relative 

 to the Discovery of Gold in Australia, p. 38, 1855] . 



Owen's original description of the genus Diprotodon was based on a very 

 iDcomplete series of specimens, including a molar tooth, and portions of broken 

 bones of various parts of the skeleton . Turner's specimens were more complete, 

 and included a shattered skull, which Mr. ^Yall of the Museum, with the co- 

 operation of Mr. Clarke and Dr. Leichhardt, succeeded in putting together; this 

 measured four feet in length from the frontal bone to the occiput. The pelvis 

 was incomplete, and the marsupial bones were missing. W. S. Macleay, in hia 

 lengthy account, gave the dental formula, compared it with that of oilier mar- 

 supials, and discussed the relationship of Diprotodon. His conclusion wa.s — "Hut 

 this collection is above all interesting, as proving the trutli of Professor Owen's 

 suggestion, that there formerly existed in the Australian wilds a marsupiid 

 Pachyderm, thus serving to complete that series of analogies .which quadrupeds 

 with marsupial bones bear to the several classes of placental mammalia.' 



Turner's collection of bones was afterwards sold, sent to London, and 

 subsequently described and figured by Professor Owen. 



Mr. Clarke conducted the burial service at the funeral of W. S. Macleay, 

 on January 28th, 1865. An obituary ncitice appeared in the Sydney Morning 

 Herald of January 30th. The Rev. R. L. King, in his Presidential Address to 

 the Entomological Society of New South Wales, refers to this as from the pen 

 of an old friend. It is, I think, almost certain that it was written by Mr. 



Clarke, perhaps after consultation witli William Macleay. It is much to be re- 

 gretted that no "Life an<l Letters'" iif this eminent Australian pioneer in geology 

 has been published. 



Sir William Denison, the Governor General, has recorded two visits to W. 

 S. Macleay, in his "Varieties of Vice-Regal Life." Mr. Dea.s Thomson's position 

 as Colonial Secretary was about to lapse, on the eve of the inauguration of 

 Responsible Government ; and the (luestion for his Excellency to settle was, who 

 should be asked to be Premier. Sir William, in a letter to Mr. Deas Thomson, 

 dated January 15th, 1856, said [Vol. i., p. 332]— "I paid a visit to Mr. [W. 

 S.] Macleay yesterday, and had a long conversation with him on political matters, 

 of which I give you the substance, as it will serve to show you the views enter- 

 tained by a man like him, not actually engaged in the strife of party 



In tlie first place, great anxiety was expressed tliat you should take the lead, mid 

 constitute the Government: it was said that all expected you to do so; that the 

 Government would be placed in great difficulty without your knowledge and 



experience to keep things steady The conclusion of tlie whole matter is, 



that I very much wish you to form a Government, and assist nie in working out 

 the experiment wliich is about to be made." Air. Deas Thomson, however, could 

 not see his way to accept the Governor's offer. Mr. Stuart Donaldson wius sent 

 for, and subsequently formed the fii-st Ministry, Mr. Deas Thomson being ap- 

 pointed President of the Legislative Council. 



On his second visit on Febniary 6th, 1850, [Vol, i., p. 458] to show Mr. W. 

 S. Macleay a tortoise sent to liim by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, 

 Sir William saw the Stuart Drawings, as noted above. 



