PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 3 



of the County of Cumberland, at Eastern Creek and Windsor, as 

 well as in other localities not specified. The exhibition of Mr. 

 Masters' choice collections, from time to time, was one of the most 

 interesting features of the meetings of the Society. 



In 1864, Mr. Masters joined the staff of the Australian Museum, 

 Sydney. The official notice of his appointment states that: "An 

 Assistant Curator, of considerable practical experience, has been 

 appointed, who takes an active part in the arrangement of the 

 collection, and occasionally travels in search of natural history 

 specimens ; a very large and highly valuable collection, comprising 

 many new genera, has been brought together." During his con- 

 nection with the Australian Museum, which lasted for ten years, 

 very large and important general collections were made for the 

 Museum. From June to December, 1864, the first year of his 

 appointment, the additions of vertebrates consisted ohiefly of birds, 

 together with 5,000 specimens of insects, but localities are not men- 

 tioned. Thereafter, he made extensive collections in South and 

 West Australia, at Pine Mountain and in other localities in 

 Queensland, again in West Australia, at Lord Howe Island, at 

 Maneero, at the Snowy Mountains, and in the Wide Bay District, 

 Queensland, whence he brought back nineteen specimens of Cera- 

 todus. The Coleoptera obtained on this trip, amounted to nearly 

 16,000 specimens, representing over 1,100 species, according to Sir 

 William Macleay. In 1867, Mr. Masters collected in Tasmania. 

 On his return, after his collection had been exhibited to the 

 Trustees at a Board Meeting, he was specially thanked by letter 

 for his zeal, diligence and skill in making such a splendid collec- 

 tion, and made the recipient of a gift in token of the appreciation 

 of the Trustees. A lengthy account of the history and contents 

 of "The Sydney Museum" will be found in the "Evening News" 

 of May 22nd, 1868, in which appreciative reference is made to 

 Mr Masters' share in the development and arrangement of the 

 collections. 



During the period 1871-74, Mr. Masters published a "Catalogue 

 of the Described Coleoptera of Australia," in five parts, founded 

 upon Gemminger and Harold's "Catalogus Coleopterorum," re- 



