BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR. 
xv 
Toucans; ’ in 1837 the ‘ Synopsis of the Birds of Australia,’ wherein 
were figured the heads of most of the species of birds known to inhabit 
that great country up to the time when Gould wrote. But even then 
additional material was beginning to flow in upon him from the southern 
continent, for the ‘ Synopsis ’ contains an appendix in which many new 
species are described but not figured. 
The two parts of the ‘ leones Avium ’ were published in 1837 and 
1838; and in the latter work Gould appears to have conceived the idea 
of publishing a monograph of the Caprimulgidce, or family of Goat¬ 
suckers—a difficult undertaking, which had to be abandoned in face of 
his journey to Australia, which must have been at that time in con¬ 
templation ; before going, however, he had finished his ‘ Monograph 
of the Trogonida , or Eamily of Trogons.’ 
The energy with which Gould and his devoted wife worked during the 
eight years from 1830 to 1838 may be gauged by the above list of works 
which they produced in the time; and he seems to have found leisure 
to visit the principal Museums of Europe, while his friendship with 
Temminck, then Director at the Leyden Museum, enabled him to figure 
many of the rare birds which that museum possessed. In his preface to 
the ‘ Birds of Europe ’ Mr. Gould states that the greater number of the 
plates of that work, as well as all those of his £ Century of Birds,’ the 
‘ Monograph of the Trogons,’ and at least three fourths of those of the 
‘Monograph of the Toucans,’ had been drawn and lithographed by 
Mrs. Gould from sketches and designs by himself, always taken from 
nature. The remainder of the drawings were done by Mr. Lear. 
In 1837 Gould commenced to publish his ‘ Birds of Australia.’ A 
second part bears date 1838; but he speedily found that he had not 
suflicient material to carry on the work as he wished it to be done, and 
he therefore boldly conceived the notion of leaving England with his 
wife, for the purpose of procuring the specimens necessary for the 
