The Emu. 
39 
exclusion of one of the richest ornithological areas in the world 
would, I take it, be unworthy of such an influential brotherhood 
as I trust the Australasian Ornithologists' Union will ere long 
find itself to be. 
The treasures of parts of this region have been made known 
to the world by Gould, Salvadori, Finsch, Buller, Tristram, 
Layard, and others, but much of it is as yet untouched, and will 
provide generations of work, more especially in those parts 
which are inhospitable, such as the Admiralty and Solomon 
Islands. 
The entire area is in touch, as far as trade is concerned, with 
Australia, and offers a magnificent field for the labours of 
energetic and adventurous collectors. In addition, however, to 
these comparatively new fields, there are those which have been 
fairly well worked, such as Fiji, New Caledonia, and other 
islands, in which much has still to be investigated ; also disputed 
points to be settled (one of which, the alleged breeding there of the 
Golden Plover, by Layard, occurs to me at the moment), while 
the habits and natural history, particularly the nidification of 
rare and little known species, remain to be studied. 
Before touching on the work to be done, generally, or in any 
one particular " region " of Australia, it will be right here to 
shortly review the labours of the ornithologists and naturalists 
who have led to the extensive, and I may say intimate, know- 
ledge of the vast number of species which the island-continent 
possesses. 
First on the list of our workers, and now long since passed 
away, is one who has immortalized himself — John Gould. Prior 
to his arrival on the scene, the labours of naturalists may 
roughly be said to have been confined to the work done during 
the voyages of the early navigators — Flinders, Phillip, King, and 
Cook — when collections were made by Sir Joseph Banks, Brown, 
and Caley. Sundry species were described and figured by Shaw 
and Lewin (the latter in the " Birds of New Holland " ), also by 
Cuvier, Latham, and Vieillot ; whilst Messrs. Vigors and 
Horsfield left an unfinished memoir of the birds of Australia 
then in the Linnean collection. 
The south-eastern portions of the continent, with Tasmania, 
however, were the only parts of Australia which may be said to 
have been properly worked, as the most of the remaining parts 
of the continent were practically unknown. 
In coming out to Australia, the object which Gould had in 
view, with the help of his assistants, was the exploring of its 
hitherto untouched tracts and the personal study of the habits 
of the species collected. This done, the results of his labours 
were to be given to the world in a work, the second of the 
magnificent series of folio editions commenced with " The Birds 
of Europe." He left England in the latter part of 1838, and 
forthwith commenced his great task, working incessantly in the 
