162 THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. III. 



SAMUEL ALBERT WHITE. 



Samuel Albeet White was a born ornithologist, his father 

 being Samuel White, who practically sacrificed his life in his 

 pursuit of ornithology and whose talents were never recog- 

 nised by Gould. I want it to be understood now that I fully 

 appreciate the assistance the son has given to me, as it is owing 

 to his labours that so much is now known regarding Central 

 Australian birds. It will be realised later that to S. A. White 

 must be given the sole credit for the ornithological exploration 

 of Central Australia. It is remarkable that to his wife Samuel 

 White the elder owed much of his success, and to his wife 

 Samuel Albert White the younger is largely indebted for his 

 achievements. It is a great tribute to the men that they were 

 able to select such helpmeets, and all honour is due to the 

 women who gave such magnificent examples of true comrade- 

 ship. I met Mrs. White the elder when in Australia in 1914, 

 and was charmed with the beautiful and stately Victorian 

 dame, the worthy wife of so fine an ornithologist, and a worthy 

 mother of an almost better ornithologist. 



Samuel White's life has been told by his son in the South 

 Australian Ornithologist, Vol. I., so that it is now known what 

 an excellent ornithologist he was. 



Samuel Albert White was born in Adelaide on December 

 20, 1870, his mother being in the city while his father was 

 away upon an ornithological trip. Their home was at the 

 Reedbeds (now called Fulham), five miles north of the town. 

 He learned to make bird skins at his father's knee at a very 

 tender age, travelling with his father and mother in their yacht 

 all round the coast after birds, so that he can truly be said to 

 have been born in the science. Yet not every one in like 

 circumstances develops the love which manifested itself in this 

 case. His father died in 1880, and the boy had to go to school, 

 first at the Christian Brothers' College, and later at St. Peter's 



