PRESIDENTS ADDRESS—-SECTION D, 87 
send home specimens (g). Probably, therefore, specimens were 
received from this source. From the inspection of Mr. Macleay’s 
copies of the sale catalogues of the collections of Mr. Francillon 
and Mr. Marsham, I should suppose that very probably certain 
marginal notes in manuscript refer to specimens purchased from 
these collections by Mr. Macleay. No doubt, at a later date 
Mr. Macleay added extensively to his collection by his own 
collecting. 
Of the collections enumerated in the second group, it is only 
necessary to mention that of the Linnean Society of London. 
This in its day is said to have been “the most extensive collec- 
tion of the zoological products of Australia now -in this 
country’ (h). The most important constituents of this collection 
were “an extensive Cabinet of insects,” comprising Fabrician 
types, and an “extensive collection of shells,” the gifts of Sir 
Joseph Banks; “an extensive and valuable collection of Quad- 
rupeds, Birds, and Reptiles, made by Mr. George Caley, in New 
South Wales,” purchased by subscription by forty-one members, 
for the sum of £220 14s., and presented to the Society ; a large 
series of specimens presented by Mr. Alexander Macleay and 
other early colonists of standing; the birds collected and pre- 
sented by Robert Brown; a donation of specimens presented by 
Captain P. P. King. The complete list of donors will be found 
in the donation lists at the end of Vols. x. (1811), xxi. (1852-55) 
of the Transactions. 
Professor Temmnick described twelve species of pigeons and 
parrots; and Messrs. Vigors and Horsfield published a very 
valuable but incomplete account of the birds. Otherwise the 
imperfect manner in which this great collection was utilised, its 
subsequent dispersal (7), the loss of information relating to the 
geographical distribution of animals in the early days of coloni- 
sation, and to a great extent the labour in vain of those who 
sent home specimens, form one of the most sorrowful episodes 
in Australian faunistic history. 
Such meagre information as can be gleaned from the fore- 
going list is ample to suggest that the early Australian collec- 
tions containing types or specimens of historic interest have 
been exposed to extraordinary vicissitudes. A number of types 
certainly did eventually arrive at the British Museum. But 
what proportion of them I do not know, nor do I find it possible 
to enter into any details on the subject. But one thing is 
certain, namely, that in a general way the question of the 
whereabouts of the Australian zoological types is a much more 
complicated and perplexing one than the botanist interested in 
the Australian flora can ever have to battle with. 
(9) Jardine’s Naturalists’ Library, xiii., 1842, p. 46. 
(2) Swainson, Zool. Journ., i., p. 463 
(i Proc. Linn. Soc., 1863, pp. Vii. (April 16), li. (June 4), i. (Nov. 5); 1864, p. xlvii. 
June 16). 
