oiiiGixAL me:\iukks. 159 



l)eeii unable to ascertain precisely at wliat period the idea 

 tirst occurred to Wolley's mind_, but it was certainly not 

 later than this year (1846) that he began carefully to 

 examine and collate all the historical evidence relating to 

 that extraordinary extinct bird, the Dodo, and in pursuing 

 the search for authorities he was led to make a minute study 

 of the records of ancient voyages. This he did without any 

 knowledge of the labours towards the same end which were 

 then being prosecuted by the late Mr. H. E. Strickland, for 

 it was not until the close of the next year that he became 

 acquainted with that gentleman^s design of immediately 

 bringing out a work on the subject. Wolley had by that 

 time collected a considerable mass of material ; but directly 

 he saw an announcement of the contemplated publication of 

 * The Dodo and its Kindred/ he at once communicated the 

 principal results at which he had ai-rived to Strickland, 

 Avhose admirable monograph bears no unwilling testimony to 

 his appreciation of the assistance thus generously proffered 

 and to the value of the knowledge acquired ''^. 



In the summer of 1846, accompanied by one of his 

 cousins, AYoUey made a tour in Germany and Switzerland, 

 throughout which he neglected no opportunity of acquiring 

 ornithological informatioUp while in the course of it he 

 achieved a successful ascent of ^lont Blanc — an exploit not 

 then of such frequent occurrence as it has since become. 



Towards the end of the next year (1847) he repaired to 

 Edinburgh and joined the medical classes at that University, 

 M'here he diligently applied himself for the next three years 



* The writer begs leave to acknowledge here the kindness with vvdiich 

 Sir William Jardine has placed at his disposal copies of, and extracts from, 

 several of Wolley's letters to Strickland, written at this period. It may 

 be added, for the benefit of any naturalist who, at some time or other, 

 might turn his attention to the matter, that AVolley was strongly of 

 opinion that assiduously as Strickland had worked, the amount of informa- 

 tion to be yet derived from a more extended research, such as would be 

 afforded by several of our public and private libraries, was far from being 

 exhausted — if, indeed, their dust did not still bury the knowledge of facts 

 bearing on this remarkable group of extinct organisms for more interesting 

 than any that had been resuscitated. 



