INTRODUCTION. xi 



Jlrs. Robert Brocknian, of Guildford, Western Aiisti-alia, has kindly 



written for me llic following eoiicerning Gilbert's private disposition. 



Slie says : " You ask. me to give you whatever infonnatiou 1 can about 



Ala". Gilbert. He was in the York district, collecting birds, also their 



nests and eggs for Mj-. Gould's large work, ' The Birds of Australia,' and, 



in the coiu-se of his travels, one day came to ' Woodside,' and, as a matter 



of coui-se, w:is asked to stay and rest. Wc liked him so well, that we 



told him to consider our house his hcad-qviai-ters whenever liis occupation 



brought him within reach of us ; ajid lie was a great deal with us while 



after the birds he was in seai'ch of. 



"He used to go out after breakfast, provided with some luncheon, 



and we seldom saw him until late in the afternoon, when he would come 



in ^vith several birds and set busily to work to skin and fill them out 



before dark. In the evenings ho used to sing for us, and it was a great 



treat to hear his lovely voice, for such a beautiful tenor voice was rarely 



lieard in those days. He had a good selection of songs. The (ijiening 



rerse of one of his favourites was : — 



' No more shall the children of Judah sing 

 The lay of a happier time. 

 Or strike the harp with the golden string, 

 'Neath the sun of an Eastern clime.' 



" He was an enthusiast at his business, never spared himself, and often 

 came in quite tired out from a long day's tramp after some particular bird, 

 but as pleased as a child if he succeeded in shooting it. 



" We became very friendly, and were much grieved to hear of his sad 

 (li\ith. Strange to say, he always had a dread of blacks, even in our 

 quiet place. He told me he was a widower, and spoke in veiy loving 

 terms of a little daughter he had left in England. 



" I wish I could recollect more about him ; I shall onlj* add once more 

 that wc all Ukcd him much and thought liighly of him. I remember his 

 face now perfectly, as he used to look when he came in and tlirew off his 

 hoavj' pack. He would say : ' Now for a sup of your nice tea and I shall 

 be all right.' I think he was, altogether, nearly two months in our 

 neighbourhood ; then he travelled on towards Toodyay.'' 



Gilbert has been further described as having been a pleasing and 

 bright companion. In stature he was somewhat short and spare, but 

 strong and very active. His complexion was rather dark than fair. 



John Macgillivray, to whom Gould was indebted for so many of his 

 north-eastern novelties, was naturalist on board H.M.S. " Rattlesnake," 

 commanded by Captain Owen Stanley. Macgillivr-ay afterwards wrote 



