180 KATTJRAL HISTOEY SKETCHES. 



the reach of the field naturalist, is a pretty good proof 

 of the attention he must have bestowed upon the sub- 

 ject. During the last three years, I believe only about 

 two birds unnoticed by him have been discovered. As 

 to myself, I was never lucky enough to fall in with a 

 single new bird ; and often have I been disappointed, in 

 my early days of collecting here, when I have taken up 

 a specimen which was new to me, and showed it to an 

 old collector, by his quiet remark, " Oh, yes ; I know this 

 bird well : it is very common in such a district." 



The collector here has many difficulties to contend 

 with : he will be able to procure very little assistance ; 

 must depend almost entirely upon his own exertions ; 

 and unless he has some small capital, will not be able to 

 give his sole attention to a pursuit which yields but little 

 present emolument. I had to procure my daily bread by 

 my gun ; collecting was with me only a secondary con- 

 sideration ; and I was always obliged to be camped in 

 the settled districts, within reach of a market for my 

 game. 



Collecting is not a profitable occupation ; and this 

 is hardly yet a country where men care to give up 

 their time solely for the sake of benefiting science. But 

 there are now many able and zealous naturalists at work, 

 and Melbourne can boast of a museum, raised within the 

 last three years, that is a credit to the curators. Yery 

 few bushmen or settlers care anything about the natural 

 history of the country. A mob of cattle or a flock of 

 sheep are naturally of more interest to the squatter or 



