106. President' s Address. 



From the year 1837 onwards we have material for an exact 

 history of the Bird Collections in the British Museum. For 

 many years to come the influence of John Gould was to be 

 felt in the history of British Ornithology, not so much on account 

 of his scientific attainments, as for the wonderful series of illus- 

 trated books which he published. He was an accomplished 

 taxidermist, and had a real love for a bird. His books were 

 started on an entirely new line, and the lithography of his 

 plates was done first by his wife, then by Lear (the author of 

 a work on Parrots), and lastly by Richter and Hart. 



Gould was a staimeli friend of the British Museum, and 

 towards the end of his life he was always ready to allow us 

 to acquire any collections which had served his purpose for 

 illustration in his great series of works. From an early date 

 he presented specimens to the Museum, and he has told me 

 how great was his grief when the offer of his Australian 

 collections of birds and eggs was rejected by Dr. J. E. 

 Gray. In a moment of chagrin lie accepted the offer of Dr. 

 Edward Wilson, and allowed the collections, with their 

 priceless types, to go to Philadelphia. • 



In 1838 Gould went to Australia to procure the material 

 for his great work on the Birds of that country, and he also 

 published another folio on the Mammals of Australia, which 

 he always - considered one of his most praiseworthy publica- 

 tions, as he produced it in the interests of science alone, 

 knowing well that the undertaking would not pay. 



Gould must have had some correspondent in Australia who 

 sent him specimens, as in 1837 and 1838 he presented 

 specimens from that continent, and in the latter year he left 

 England for New South Wales. 



Slowly but surely, the National Collection of Birds now 

 began to increase. The year 1837 saw collections from South 

 America presented by Admiral Fitzroy and Sir Robert 

 Schomburgh, and in 183 8 began the presentations of Indian and 

 Chinese birds from John Russell Reeves, another old friend of 

 Dr. J. E. Gray. 



The expeditions to the interior of South Africa by Dr. 

 (afterwards Sir) Alexander Smith had resulted in the dis- 

 covery of a number of new forms of birds. These were 



