72 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
April, 1922 
ornithologist was killed by blacks. The natives attacked 
at. 7 o’clock that evening, and as Gilbert emerged from 
his tent he was struck in the chest by a spear, and died 
almost instantly. He was buried on the spot next day, Dr. 
Leichhardt reading over him the burial service of the 
Church of England. Thus ended the man who, though 
working in a subsidiary capacity, stands out very pro- 
minently in the inner history of Queensland ornithology. 
His journal and bird specimens were returned to Gould, 
who wrote much therefrom, and who lamented that by the 
untimely death of Gilbert he had “lost an able coadjutor 
and science a devoted follower.” 
There is no Queensland bird bearing Gilbert’s name, 
but it was given by Gould to a sweet-voiced southern 
whistler, Pacycephala gilberti, “as a just compliment to 
one who most assiduously assisted me in the laborious 
investigations required for the production of The Birds of 
Australia .” 
All other references to Gilbert are in accord. For 
instance, Jukes, the naturalist of H.M.S. Fly , when 
speaking* of Megapodes’ mounds seen on Possession Island, 
corroborates “the singular account given by Mr. Gilbert 
in Gould’s Birds of Australia ,” and adds, “I cannot 
mention the name of this gentleman without saying how 
much I, in common with all who knew him, regretted his 
unfortunate death.” 
With the passing of Gilbert, Leichhardt has little further 
claim on ornithological attention. His Journal , of course, 
has many references to birds, but few of the notes are 
arresting. Perhaps the most interesting are those showing 
the foreigner’s never-ending interest in the remarkable 
Spotted Power-bird ;t on one occasion he made a very 
unusual record by finding four bowers close together, “as 
if,” he says, “one habitation was not sufficient for the 
wanton bird to sport in.” 
Leichhardt has to be remembered with gratitude, too, 
for having brought Gilbert’s journal and specimens back 
to Gould. There is a general impression among historical 
writers that the specimens were abandoned, but this i& 
confuted by what Gould has to say, and Leichhardt men? 
tions only the sacrifice of Gilbert’s botanical specimens, 
which were poorly packed. $ It should be added that the 
* “Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. ‘Fly, 1 by J. B. Jukes, 
naturalist to the expedition; London, 1847. 
fSee article by Mr. Gaukrodger in this issue. — Eds. 
t There was no ornithologist with the last Leichhardt expedition 
of 1847, the one of which nothing definite was learned after April & 
1848, and whose fate remains unsolved to this day. 
