INTRODUCTION. xiii 



boyhood In- was foiul of fk-ld sports of all kinds. Getting into disgi-ace 

 over a liorsc-racing incident (one cannot toncli pitch without soiling one's 

 hands), he quitted England for the wild mountains and woods of Norway 

 and Sweden. Subsequently he resolved to have " a spell " in a more 

 sunny clime, and turned his attention to Australia. Mr. Wheclwn'glit 

 aiTived in Victoria, March, 1833; and, like thousands of others at that 

 time, departed for the gold diggings, but was unsuccessful. He became 

 acquainted with Mr. C. J. StaflFoi-d, like himself, of a naturalist tum of 

 mind, and, a^ mates, they camped for about five years (1853-8) bi 

 Morilialloc, now the populaa* sea-side resort. 16i miles by rail from Mel- 

 bourne. The exact spot of the camp was between tlie road and the 

 beach, just oi)posite the railway station. For sport and livelihood they 

 shot ganic in that district and in Western Port for the market ; and 

 it was that period of five years which constituted Mr. AVlieelwn'ght's 

 " Bush Wanderings," wherein he mentions one hvmdi'ed and ninety species 

 of birds (giving the habits of some), twenty-two animals, besides reptiles, 

 fish, and insects. When Mr. Wlicclwn'ght gave up camp life, he imme- 

 diately sailed for England, writing up his notes on the passage home. 



Sylvi'ster Digglcs (Queensland), an artist and musician by profession, 

 was an entomologist a.s well as an omitliologist- He was enthusia.stic, 

 patient and pei-severing. During his twenty-two years of research, he 

 punted no less than six hundred Australian birds and wrote descriptions 

 thereof, but owing to the want of suflSeient funds, only a portion was 

 IJubJished, imder the somewhat ambitious title, " The Ornithology of 

 Australia." Iti was his deatli-blow that the Government would not assist 

 him. Truly it has been written, " a prophet is not without honour save 

 in his own country." 



Mr. Diggles was one of the first promoters of the Philosophical 

 Society of Queensland. He died 21st March, 1880. 



Tliomas Heni-y Bow>'er-Bower (son of Captain Bowyer-Bower, 

 England) indirectly sacrificed his life in the interests of ornithology. 

 He collected some seven hundred bird skins in the neighbourhood of 

 Derby, North-west Austraha. Of that number, imfortunately, two 

 hundred were burnt by a bush fire. It was Mr. Bowyer-Bowei-'s inten- 

 tion to return the following diy season (winter) to make good 

 his loss and to supplement his not«s ; but alas ! he contracted 

 typhoid fever, and died at Port Darwin. 23rd December, 1886, 

 at the early age of 24. Mr. Walter Burton (Wardour .Street, 

 London, W.), who accompanied Mr. Bowycr-Bowcr as professional 



