204 From Magazines, &c. [ist^April 



follow them, and the only occupants of the lake will be a rather 

 full supply of huge yellow mud-eels. One has only to see these 

 lakes now, with their broad, blue bosoms thickly dotted with 

 Swans and clumps of Ducks, to realize the difference that the 

 absence of bird life will make in them. In the same connection, 

 great care should be exercised in connection with shelter plan- 

 tations. At present there are huge belts of plantations, mostly 

 sugar and other gums, but also acacia, tea-tree, and Piniis 

 insignis, all over the plains. Some of these plantations are 

 miles long, and their individual area sometimes runs into 

 hundreds of acres. It is pretty well known that these arc the only 

 trees there are on the plains, which, before the plantations grew 

 up, were a wide, wind-swept waste. The amount of bird life 

 that they already contain is indeed surprising. The great bulk 

 of this bird life is not native to the plains, but has been attracted 

 thither by the plantations. — TJie Argus, 2nd February, 1907. 



* * * 



Two Early Australian Ornithologists. — In Records 

 of the Australian Museum, vol. vi., No. 3, Mr. A. J. North, 

 C.M.Z.S., has contributed a sympathetic article on two early 

 ornithological workers. 



(i) John William Lewin, who was the author of the first work 

 published on Australian birds, arrived in New South Wales in 

 1798 by H.M.S. Buffalo. He is thus referred to by the Duke of 

 Portland in a communication to Governor Hunter, under date 

 6th February, 1798: — "Mr. Lewin is a painter and drawer in 

 natural history, and, being desirous of pursuing his studies in a 

 country which cannot fail to improve that branch of knowledge, 

 you will allow him the usual Government rations during his 

 residence in the settlement." In 1801 Lewin accompanied 

 Colonel Paterson, the Lieutenant-Governor of the colony, and 

 party in an exploring expedition up the Hunter and Paterson 

 Rivers. In 1808 Lewin's "Birds of New Holland" appeared, 

 the plates being engraved and coloured by the author. It is not 

 without interest to learn that, with the exception of Lewin's 

 "Insects of New South Wales," published in 1805, his bird 

 plates were the earliest engravings produced in Australia. Lewin 

 originally called his ornithological work " Birds of New South 

 Wales," but it is believed the publisher in England, where the 

 letterpress was printed, styled the work " Birds of New Holland " 

 — a somewhat unfortunate title. Lewin died 27th August, 18 19, 

 at the comparatively early age of 49, and was buried in the 

 Devonshire-street Cemetery, his remains, with others buried 

 there, being transferred a few years ago to the northern shore of 

 Botany Bay, to make room for the new metropolitan railway 

 station at Redfern. 



(2) John Gilbert. As Mr. North remarks, the labours of the 



