TUE society's herita(1e from the macleats. 027 



The results of the three researches mentioned, were puhlished separately hy 

 the author, with the title "Zoological Researches and Illustrations; or Natural 

 History of nondescript or imperfectly known Animals, in a series of Memoirs, 

 illustrated hy numerous figures." Five Memoirs at least were published at Cork 

 about 1830 or later. The memorials of W. S. Macleay include four of these, 

 the first one bearing the inscription "W. S. McLeay, Esquire, with the Author's 

 Compliments." The others are without covers. 



W. S. Macleay appreciatively refers at length to Thompson's observations on 

 Ci-ustaceous animals in the second portion of the "Annulosa of South Africa," "On 

 the Hrachyurous Decapod Crustacea,"' p. 53. In a footnote he says — "The credit 

 (if confirming Thompson's observatu'ns belongs to my friend Captain Ducane [Du 

 Cane], R.N., who has made at Southampton most interesting observations on the 

 Metamorphosis of Crustacea, which 1 trust he will soon give to the Public" [as he 

 did, in Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 1839]. Among the memorials of AV. S. Macleay, 

 there is a sketch of two larval shrimps, signed "C.D.C., Southampton, April 30th, 

 1838," sent to him by his friend. 



After Dr. J. V. Thompson came to Sydney in 183G. there is no record of any 

 interest, on his part, in the Port Jrckson fauna. He was the author of numerous 

 papers, of which nineteen, not including the "Zoological Researches," are listed 

 in the Royal Society's Catalogue. The last four were apparently written in 

 Sydney, but published in India, Agric. Soc. Journal, Vols. i.. ii., iv., 184'2-45. 

 These relate to the culture of cotton and sugar-cane. The Journal containing 

 them is not to be found in Sydney libraries. 



Dr. Thompson was known to Alexander Macleay as a contributor of papers 

 to, and a Fellow of, the Linnean Society as early as 1808. He was also the donor 

 of seeds of Cotton to A. Macleay in Sydney, as shown in the Seed-book. 

 Though often mentioned in text-books, I have never seen any reference to Dr. 

 Thompson as a distinguished zoologist resident in Sydney, in any Australian 

 pul)licatiou . He died in Sydney in 1847. The following brief obituary notice 

 appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on January 2(5th. — "At his residence, 

 Liverpool Street, Sydney, on Thursday 21st instant, John Vaughan Thompson, 

 Es<i., for several years Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals in New South 

 Wales [1836-44], in his 63rd year, after long-continued illness — distinguished for 

 his acciuirements in zoology and botany — possessing talents of no conmion order — 

 and estimable in evei-y relative duty of life — he is deeply lamented by his afflicted 

 family, to whom his loss is irreparable." 



Dr. J. F. Watson, in his "History of the Sydney Hospital, 1811-1911" says 

 that Dr. Thompson was an unsuccessful administrator, and that he was sui)er- 

 seded in 1844. This need not obscure his fine recoi-d of work, as given in the 

 National Dictionary of Biogi-aphy. 



The Rev. Dr. Woolls (1814-1893), referred to as Mr. Woolls in the Rev. 

 K. L. King's letter to W. S. Macleay, in 1859, had not been ordained to Holy 

 Orders at that time. The introduction to W. S. Macleay, suggested by Mr. 

 King, was duly made, and thereafter they fre(|uently corresponded, and Dr. 

 Woolls paid visits. There are several references to W. S. Macleay in Dr. 

 Woolls' two book^. One of them records the fact that W. S. Macleay had 

 collected Dendrobium cucumerimim near Brownlow Hill, growing on the swamp- 

 oak; and another that he believed that Corijsauthe^ hicalcarata had been found 



