254



Mr. A. J. Campbell



said —“ Sell your bird-eggs old man, and put the money into land.”

The big boom broke. He lost his land ; my egg collection is still

intact. That is history. It is difficult to state what is the intrinsic

or scientific value of a natural history collection. To accomplish

any great object in life, there must he a passion. You cannot

materalize one’s passion—be it music, painting, or nature-study—

any more than you can value one’s artistic temperament in terms

of £. s. d.


One likes to study birds because they are the most happy

and healthy of creatures. Whoever saw a sick bird, except in caged

confinement? Birds in the open are always joyous. Listen to

their lively lays at break o’ day—never ill. Besides the beauty of

birds, the colour and markings of some eggs are most attractive.

Their graceful shapes, whether globular, oval or elliptical, are all

emblems of true infinity. In my book, “ Nests and Eggs,” maybe

I have said sufficient descriptive of the eggs and the domestic

economy of our Commonwealth birds. Perhaps I may here recite

a few incidents in travel that occurred while procuring my specimens.


I have been twice shot at. In the early days of Ferntree

Gully (Vic.), we (four of us) were on the road, at night, to the

Dandenongs, walking every yard of the way. Near what is now

known as Wheeler’s Hill a drunken fellow wanted to know “ Who


the-are you ? ” We replied, “ Look out, our guns are loaded.”


“ Oh, is it shooting you mean ? I’ll meet you with a gun.” So the

rascal said, rushing into a shanty near. In the meantime we took

to our heels and turned sharply aside into the bush. When the

drunkard reappeared, he, supposing we had continued our way up

the road, fired in that direction. We could distinctly hear the

“ ping ” of the bullet. Being about midnight, we camped in the

scrub where we were, and continued our journey at day-dawn. By

the way, I recollect that on this trip we saw the lovely little

chestnut-shouldered grass-parrot.It used to frequent the fertile

flats of Ferntree Gully. We believe that this beautiful bird is now

extinct. On another occasion we were shot at in broad daylight by a


* The turquoisine ; formerly imported in fair numbers. The extinction of some

of the most beautiful grass parrakeets of Australia is a sad loss both to

Nature and aviculturists. — ED.



