XXll PREFACE. 



entrance and feed from bis hand. In "Notes of my Bird Cage" 

 (Zool. S.S. 3157) "vvill be found an account of bis success in 

 breeding tbe little Australian parrakeet (Melojmttaciis undu- 

 latiis) : be possessed upwards of tbirty at one time, all bred in 

 tbe aviary. A diary of tbe birds, after tbe manner of Gilbert 

 Wbite, was carefully kept, and sbort notes frequently appeared 

 in tbe magazines. He bad a great affection for all living animals, 

 and could not bear to see anything suffer, even for its own 

 good. He frequently visited tbe Zoological Gardens, always 

 intent on gaining information ; and in bis later years was 

 earnestly at work on a new classification of birds. One of bis 

 friends writes, witb reference to these visits to the Zoological 

 Gardens, and to the proposed classification of birds which be 

 did not live to complete, and of which but few fragments 

 remain: — "For forty years a visit to tbe Zoological Gardens 

 has been one of my greatest enjoyments ; but witb Mr. Newman, 

 who was my frequent companion, the pleasure was very much 

 enhanced. He would stand to watch the movements of that 

 remarkable bird, the Caviama {Dicholaplms cristatus) ; its 

 position amongst birds was to him a puzzle, but be at last, 

 I am inclined to think, regarded it as a Raptorial bird, 

 as classified by Mr. Sharpe, of the British Museum. He 

 attached great importance to tbe mode by which a bird 

 progressed on tbe ground, and be exhibited almost a childish 

 delight when be first observed that eagles hopped. Natural 

 History was to Mr. Newman not only an intellectual scientific 

 study, but was also an absorbing passion." He was at this 

 time devotuig as much attention to Entomology as to other 

 branches of Zoology, making an especial study of the Gallflies 

 and their productions, of the Sawflies, and tbe Bees, — the latter 

 chiefly witb a view to observations on tbe fertilisation of 

 plants by their agency. His " Collected Observations on British 

 Sawflies" were laid aside for years, and their revision and 

 pubbcation in the ' Entomologist ' was only commenced shortly 

 before his death. It is hoped that further instalments may yet 

 appear, containing his later views on a natural classification of 

 Insects, — a subject which had continuously occupied bis thoughts 

 since 1834. 



The end was now drawing near. In February, 1873, he had 



