THE AISTRAI.IAN MUSEUM— EARIA' HISTORY — RTHERIDCiR. 75 



It is, liovvever, necessaiy to i-etrace our steps a little. In 

 the first place who was the cnstodian of the "CoIothhI 

 Mnseuin " the institution to contain the " Specimens of Birds," 

 etc., provided for in Sir Richai-d Bourke's despatch already 

 referi-ed to; and who was the "Colonial Zoologist."? Lhotsky 

 answers these questions : — 



" It was under the admiuistration of Governor Darling, that a 

 Museum was very judiciously founded in Sydney, and the 

 situation of Colonial Zoologist was given to Mr. W. Holmes, 

 who died at Morton Bay in August, 1830. However, the 

 salary continued to be voted, as appears by the following 

 account of Colonial Estimates V^oted " (see details p. 71). 



Evidently, therefore, the fii-st custodian was known as the 

 "Colonial Zoologist" in the })ei'Son of Mr. W. Holmes, certainly 

 until 1830. I have quite failed, I regret to say, to obtain con- 

 firmation of Lliotsky's statement, or any further information 

 regarding this gentleman. What happened during the period, 

 August, I8;:i0 to April, 1836, is not very clear, but in a letter 

 dated 5th ApriL 1836, tlie Colonial Secretary (Alex. Macleay) 

 wrote to the "Superintendent" on a matter of salary — now 

 the gentleman in question was that eminent naturalist. Dr. 

 George Bennett'' (PI. xix.) 



Dr. Bennett seems to have had several titles, for Fowles, 

 in the work already quoted (pp. 83-4) says that when the 

 collections wet'e housed in a small room of the Legislative 

 Council, at the commencement of the Institution's career, 

 Bennett was known as the " Director." 



Apparently throughout 1832-35 the position of " Colonial 

 Zoologist" was unfilled, for in the "Estimates of the probable 



" Bennett. George, M.D., M.R.C.S.E.— For a brief notice of this keen 

 Naturalist see ■■ Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Nov., 1893-June, 

 1894," p. 27. It appears to be very little known that in addition to his 

 well-known works "The Gatherings " and " The Wanderings," Dr. 

 Bennett wrote an important "Peport on the Epidemic Catarrh, or 

 Influenza prevailing among the sheep in the Colony" (N.S. TFa/c-; C<t)- 

 endar, etc. for 1S36, pp. 224-254 ; repeated in Ibi<l.. 1837, pp. 224-254). 



