424 HISTORY OF 



CHAP. XL 



Liittle versed in studying the divine works of 

 Nature, I have/availed myself of the labours, 

 of my predecessors, and accompany their re* 

 searches with my own observations on the 

 various subjects ; and as I have been assisted 

 with natural historical information from the 

 same high and distinguished characters who 

 have generously favoured me with Colonial 

 historical facts, I shall give undoubtedly a 

 faithful account of the Natural History of 

 New South Wales in its Various departments, 

 as far as yet discovered, and, as Pope very 

 justly observes, that 



" Want of decency is want of sense/' 



I shall by no means introduce any descrip- 

 tion that can offend the most delicate mind, or 

 shall I ititrude on my readers any account of 

 those productions which seem the inhabitants 

 of nearly all countries, such as the rat, the 

 bat, the squirrel, &c. &c. meaning only to de- 

 scribe those which seem to be more particularly 

 the natives of this country, and were not ge- 

 nerally known previous to the establishment of 

 the colony. 



