THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Bourjot’s work was said to have been begun in March 1837, but Athenaeum, Jan. 23rd, 
1836, p. 73, says pt. i. had appeared; Engelmann (p. 404) states 29 livrs., Ill plates, 
1835-39; Wiegmann’s Archiv records livrs. 1-14, 1835; livrs. 12-24, 1836, each 
part with 4 plates ; so that it is fortunate that the names can be dismissed, as otherwise 
it is certain some undesirable changes would become necessary. 
Lever, (Sir) Ashton. —See under Museum. Leverianum. 
Lewin, John William. —Born 1770 (?). Naturalist who painted the first books on Natural 
Historj' prepared in Australia. Arrived in New South Wales in 1798, and died there 
in 1819. North has written about him in the Rec. Austr. Mus., Vol. VI., pp. 121-125, 
and I have given a couple of notes on the first books on birds in the Emu, Vol. XII 
p. 49, 1912, and Vol. XV., p. 33, 1915. 
Birds of New Holland with their Natural History, Vol. I., 4to, London, 1808. 
North has quoted a prospectus note that it would come out to Sydney by the next 
boat, published in Sydney, Nov. 20th, 1808. This first edition has the Latin names 
of the birds, and in the Preface, which was written by his brother Thos. Lewin, it is 
stated: “ We have retrenched the descriptions of the Birds in this work, from what 
was intended by the author to be given/ 5 
As the book is exceedingly rare I give here the contents :— 
Name . 
Plate dated. 
Ref. to 
PI. 
P. 
Alcede azurea 
Mar. 17, 1808 
Azure Kingfisher 
Latham 
1 
5 
Merops ornatus 
Mar. 18, 1808 
Mountain Bee-eater 
Latham 
2 
6 
Meliphaga phrygia 
Mar. 1808 
Warty-faced Honey- 
Sucker 
Latham 
3 
7 
Meliphaga cyanops 
Mar. 27, 1808 
Blue-cheeked Honey- 
Sucker 
Latham 
4 
8 
Meliphaga chrysotis 
Mar. 31, 1808 
Yellow-eared Honey- 
Sucker 
Latham 
5 
9 
Meliphaga chrysocephala 
Mar. 12, 1808 
Golden-crowned Honey- 
Nov. 
6 
10 
Sucker 
Pipra gularis 
Mar. 20, 1808 
Crimson-throated Manakin 
Latham 
7 
11 
Turdus pectoralis 
Mar. 10, 1808 
Orange-breasted Thrush 
Nov. 
8 
12 
Turdus cristatus 
Mar. 1808 
Crested Thrush 
Nov. 
9 
13 
Turdus gulteralis 
Mar. 12, 1808 
Black-crowned Thrush 
Latham 
10 
14 
Fringilla leucocephala 
Mar. 29, 1808 
Spotted Pinch 
Latham 
11 
15 
Fringella temporalis 
Mar. 30, 1808 
Temporal Finch 
Latham 
12 
16 
Muscicapa rufifrons 
Mar. 15, 1808 
Orange-rumped Flycatcher Latham 
13 
17 
Sylvia dorsalis 
Mar. 16, 1808 
Scarlet-backed Warbler 
Nov. 
14 
18 
Sylvia cyanea 
Mar. 29, 1808 
Superb Warbler 
Latham 
15 
19 
Sylvia solitaria 
Mar. 31, 1808 
Solitary Warbler 
Nov. 
16 
20 
Sylvia erythrogastra 
Mar. 3, 1808 
Crimson-breasted Warbler 
Latham 
17 
21 
Sylvia arundinacea 
Mar. 11, 1808 
Reed Warbler 
Nov. 
18 
22 
It is fairly obvious that the identifications and references to Latham were made at 
this end and that the Latin names were also given at the same time, being merely 
equivalents to the names used by Lewin. Only six of the eighteen are not accredited 
to Latham, viz., Meliphaga chrysocephala , Turdus pectoralis, Turdus cristatus , Sylvia 
dorsalis , Sylvia solitaria , and Reed Warbler. Errors of identification are seen in 
Pipra gularis and Sylvia cyanea. 
The genus name Meliphaga dates from here and I have discussed the name in the 
Austral Av. Rec., Vol. I., p. 184, 1913. The name is correctly credited to Lewin as 
it was published under his name, but it would be interesting to discover who was the 
person who suggested it. It is very probable that it is due to Latham’s assistance, 
because all the references are to Latham and some of them could scarcely have been 
determined except by reference to Latham himself. 
Birds of New South Wales with their Natural History, 4to, Sydney, 1813. 
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