RECENT MOLLUSCA OF AUGUSTUS ADDISON GOULD 21 



December 28. Today I went on a dredging excursion to the mouth of 

 the harbor, with Mr. Wilcox, in my little sheet-iron boat the 

 "Pollywog." We visited the celebrated Trigonia locality near 

 the "Sow and Pigs," and dredged, besides many living Trigoniae, 

 some thirty or forty more species of shells. 



December 29. I spent this day in the city, examining Wilcox's 

 collection. That gentleman gave me some curious accounts 

 of some naturalists whom I had long known by reputation, and 

 did not dream of finding in propria persona in this part of the 

 world. He informed me that Macleay, the originator of the 

 "circular theory" of classification in natural history was now 

 residing at this place, and that Swainson who carried out that 

 theory so fully in zoology was now wandering in these parts, 

 poor and neglected, though still hopelessly moping over zoological 

 subjects, though old and past active and useful labor in the field 

 of science. As I listened to Wilcox's account the conceit entered 

 my mind that these two men were banished, as it were, from the 

 scientific world of the Atlantic shores, for the great crime of 

 burdening zoology with the false though much labored theory 

 which has thrown so much confusion into the subject of its 

 classification and philosophical study. In the afternoon I visited 

 the officers of a new French clipper ship now lying in this port, 

 by whom I was treated with the extreme politeness so charac- 

 teristic of Frenchmen, which contrasts so strongly with the selfish 

 and often contemptuous silence of Englishmen when meeting 

 gentlemen having no formal introduction, and with the awkward- 

 ness of Americans in a similar situation. This night I spent 

 ashore at the Royal Hotel, where I met two or three gentlemen 

 from Boston, one of whom had resided in Cambridge, close to 

 my father's residence. 



December 31. This morning I visited the Sydney Museum (of 

 Science) where I found a very scientific man, Mr. Wall, Curator 

 of the Natural History Department. He showed me many 

 interesting shells, and many unique cetacean skeletons. 



January 1, 1854. . . . formed a party to visit the monument of La 

 Perouse at Botany Bay. After a ride of about seven miles 

 through sandy country, and passing through a grove, we arrived 

 at the Sir Joseph Banks Hotel (named after the great naturalist 

 who accompanied Cook on his first voyage and who landed here). 

 After a good dinner, of which Boston ice was no unwelcome con- 

 comitant, we took a boat and proceeded down the bay .... 



January 5. Through the kindness of our Commander in offering me 

 the use of his boat, I visited the [British Surveying Ship] Herald. 

 Her naturalist, Mr. MacGillivray, was not on board. 



