Vol. xviii, 

 1919 



1 Campbell, Birds from Gouldian-Gilbert Type-locatity. 175 



such a beautiful tenor voice was rarely heard in those days. He 

 had a good selection of songs. 



" 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 death. 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 very loving terms of a little daughter he had left in England. 



" I wish I could recollect more about him. I shall only add 

 once more that we all liked him much, and thought highly of him. 

 I remember his face now, perfectly, as he used to look when he 

 came in and threw off his heavy pack. He would say, ' Now for 

 a cup 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." 



It would be nothing short of a national calamity were 

 Australians to allow Gouldian-Gilbert names that are scientifically 

 correct to be displaced on their bird-lists by some obscure, or 

 obsolete, or long-forgotten name, which certain nomenclators desire 

 to have. 



An interesting and graphic account of M'Lennan's adventurous 

 and trying trip is recorded by Mr. H. L. White under the title of 

 " North Australian Birds " in The Emu, vol. xvi., commencing at 

 page 117. A second article, by M'Lennan, commencing at 

 page 205, contains copious field notes, data, &c., which are 

 extremely useful for reference. 



Gilbert did not leave many ornithological " stones " unturned, 

 because M'Lennan discovered but one new species — the White- 

 stripe Honey-eater [Ptilotis albilineata, White) — -plate xlv. Nor 

 did M'Lennan miss much that Gilbert saw, save the few species 

 before stated. In the month of January (1916) M'Lennan flushed 

 some of the Swinhoe Snipe {Gallinago megala), and shot a specimen. 

 Gilbert also collected the species, which Gould, strange to say, 

 though somewhat sceptically, mistook for the common Australian 

 Snipe. Had Gould's scepticism carried him farther, he might 

 have anticipated Capt. Swnhoe's discovery by twenty years ! 

 Gould writes (" Handbook," ii., p. 271) : — " On comparing the 

 Snipes killed at Port Essington with others obtained in Tasmania, 

 some trivial differences are found to exist, and which it is necessary 

 to point out, in order that future observers may be induced to 

 ascertain if they be identical or if they constitute two distinct 

 species ; on a minute examination, the Port Essington bird is 

 found to have a shorter tail, and the four lateral feathers narrower, 

 than in that of Tasmania, besides which the tail of the former is 

 composed of eighteen feathers in both sexes, while the specimens 

 of the latter contained in my collection numbered sixteen. It is 

 true they were killed during a partial moult, which circumstance 

 renders it doubtful whether sixteen be the right number or not." 



