3 
liberality communicated to me for the present work, whereby its value 
has been much enhanced. This liberality will be found duly acknow- 
ledged in the histories of the species for the use of which I am indebted 
to the kindness of B. Bynoe, Esq,, Surgeon R.N., Lieut. Emery, R.N., 
Commander J. M. R. fnce, R.N., Edward Bring, Esq., Purser R.N., 
Dr. Robertson and Robert M £ Cormick, Esq., Surgeons R.N., and John 
M‘Gillivray, Esq. 
After spending two years in Western and Northern Australia, 
Mr. Gilbert returned to England in September 1*841, bringing with 
him the result of his labours, which proved of sufficient value and 
importance to induce me to believe that much yet remained to be dis- 
covered in those countries, and to direct him to return thither, which 
he accordingly did in the ensuing spring ; and after again visiting Swan 
River, and sedulously exploring the interior so far as practicable, he 
proceeded to Sydney, and, unfortunately for himself, allowed his love 
of science, in the advancement of which no one was more ardent, to 
induce him to join Dr. Leichardt in his overland journey from Moreton 
Bay to Port Essington. On this expedition he, as usual, displayed his 
wonted zeal and activity until the 28th of June, when, the party being 
treacherously attacked by the natives, his valuable life was sacrificed, 
I lost a most able coadjutor, and science has to deplore one of her most 
devoted servants ; fortunately, however, in despite of the many diffi- 
culties and dangers which beset the party during the remainder of 
their journey, his journals and notes, together with the specimens he 
had been able to procure, were preserved and transmitted to me by Dr. 
Leichardt, and proved of valuable assistance in determining the range 
of many of the species. 
My own researches commenced immediately after passing the Equator, 
from whence, throughout the entire route to Australia, I omitted no 
opportunity of studying the habits, and collecting the different species 
of the oceanic birds that came under my notice : these observations were 
again resumed on my return from thence to England ; and as the out- 
ward passage was by the Cape of Good Hope, and the homeward one 
by Cape Horn, they extended round the globe, and, as will be seen 
in the course of the work, have led to some important results. And 
here 1 must acknowledge my obligations to the various captains with 
whom I sailed, namely Captain M £ Keliar of the £< Parsee,” which 
vessel conveyed me to Van Diemen’s Land; Captain Harding of the 
“ Black Joke,” in which I proceeded from Launceston in Van Die- 
men’s Land to Adelaide ; Captain Fell of the “ Catherine Stewart 
Forbes,” in which I returned from Adelaide to Hobart Town ; Captain 
Gilchrist of the “ Potentate,” in which I sailed from Hobart Town 
to Sydney ; and Lieutenant Mallard. R.N., of the “ Kinnear,” which 
brought me to England ; all of whom rendered me every assistance 
in their power, and the use of a boat and crew whenever the weather 
would admit of one being lowered, by which means I was enabled to 
obtain nearly forty species of Petrel, being the finest collection of the 
Procellaridm ever brought together. 
At the commencement of the work it was not expected that it would 
prove so extensive as it has become, since not more than about 300 
species were then known, which number has now been increased, by the 
b 2 
