Ornithological Discovery in Australia. 77 



displaye.l by a criticism of the results obtained. Tliere 

 would be no hesitation in admitting the accuracy of this 

 statement were I to indicate the errors committed ; but this 

 I do not now intend to do, and I would suggest that if a 

 little more time were expended, coincident with more thought, 

 many mistakes would be prevented, and useless word-battles 

 obviated. 



There is scope for much good work, and it seems unscien- 

 tific to employ one^s time in indicating errors of commission 

 and omission on the part of the critic. When criticism is 

 made the critic should deal with facts, not theories or fancies, 

 for the latter belong to the province of the individual, and 

 do not appear in nature. 



I write this introduction because I here propose to indicate 

 some facts of an extraordinary nature so far as the ornithology 

 of Australia is concerned, and desire to show the delightful 

 study that can be opened up by a little thought being displayed 

 in connection with a few facts, and to add some novel ideas of 

 my own suggested by these. The facts are incontrovertible, 

 the ideas argumentative, and in considering them, much of 

 the ancient history of the land has to be taken into con- 

 sideration. 



First I have to deal with the geography of Australia. 

 Being my own land and especial study, I constantly find 

 that to a European ornithologist it is a terra incognita, and 

 that such a one would place a locality a thousand miles 

 distant from its correct position, and also that anotiier would 

 think that a bird of less power of flight than a Wren could 

 traverse two thousand miles across country in a night. 



These are concrete examples, but I must defer from naming 

 the authorities who make such statements. Of natural 

 barriers, as opposed to geographical boundaries, I anticipate 

 complete ignorance, and do not concern myself with errors 

 in that direction. 



This paper will only deal with a phase of the Queensland 

 avifauna; but here again the extent and nature of Queens- 

 land is not understood by European workers, and it may be 

 as well to give a few figures. 



