JOHN GOULD'S NOTES FOB JOHN GILBEET. 291 



JOHN GOULD'S NOTES FOR JOHN GILBERT. 



The names of John Gould and John Gilbert are so closely associated with 

 Australia that new records of their work are still of interest. Through the kindness 

 of Mrs. Charles Coxen and Mr. H. C. Coxen, relatives of John Gould, a small 

 bound volume of manuscript containing the instructions WTitten by the great 

 ornithologist for his enthusiastic collector, John Gilbert, has been given an honoured 

 place among the historical documents in the Queensland Museum. 



In clear and elegant WTiting the ardent wishes of the pioneer naturahst are 

 set out. Although the notes were never intended for publication, it has been 

 thought desirable to print them in their original condition, with a few obvious slips 

 revised. These notes were evidently for Gilbert's use on his second visit to Australia, 

 and were written over eighty years ago. A special and pathetic interest is attached 

 to them because of John Gilbert's tragic death in Queensland at the hands of 

 aborigines during the Leichhardt expedition to Port Essington in 1845. That srory 

 is too well known to need repetition, and the collector's lonely grave in the far North 

 will always be sacred to the naturalists of Queensland. 



The bracketed numbers in the text refer to a few explanatory notes which 

 are given at the close. 



NEW SOUTH WALES. 



■' Collect specimens of all kinds of kangaroos and other mammalia, with 

 their crania ; send, if possible, the nose, face, and the palms of the hands and f ;et 

 of all kinds of the smaller animals in brine or spirits, and make notes of their 

 colour, as also of the eyes with their dimensions. 



• Three kinds of wallaby run in the brushes of Illawarra, viz., Halmaturus [1], 

 ualabatus, H. Tithys (the common pademellan, a red-necked kind), and a nearly 

 allied species called ' Pama ' by the natives. Of this latter, which is very like 

 Derbyanus, I wish as many specimens and crania as convenient, and also fine 

 specimens, and particularly crania, of the two former. 



" At Illawarra I also saw, but could not procure, a small mouse-like aniznal 

 among the leaves on the hiUs. The Halm, ruficollis (Warroon of the natives) is also 

 very abundant on the rise of the hills by the side of the bush road between 

 Wollongong and Bongbong. This kangaroo, of which I want good specimens, and 

 particularly a skeleton of an aclidt male and crania of both sexes, may be procured by 

 paying a visit to Mr. Throsby, at Bongbong, who will send his Tommy or some other 

 native out with you. Bongbong is near Berima and can be reached either by going 

 in the mail cart from Sydney, or by walking over with native guides from Wollon- 

 gong. The koala or monkey [2] is also common on this road, and in Throsby Park 

 the grey magpie Strepera, which I want. 



