132 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
was the Philosophical Society, in 1821; the Tasmanian 
Society followed in 1838; and the Victorian Institute in 
1854. The Philosophical Society of Victoria came into 
existence in 1855, but these last two Societies amalga- 
mated and became the Royal Society of Victoria in 1856. 
I mention these Societies because most of the mem- 
bers were not so much scientific men as nature-lovers and 
Field Naturalists. 
In the Macleay Memorial Volume Mr. Fletcher says: 
“The working Zoologists of the colonies in these early 
days, however, were from the nature of circumstances 
never very numerous, and their work at first was more 
or less that of Field Naturalists, for their efforts in other 
directions were insuperably hampered by the want of 
books and of reference collections, as well as by want of 
leisure and by their isolation.’’ 
For a yery interesting resume of the early natural 
history of New South Wales, I would refer you to the 
introductionary portion of the Macleay Memorial Volume, 
written by Mr. J. J. Fletcher. 
The study of natural history received a fresh stimu- 
lus when the late Sir W. Macleay and his friends formed 
the Ent. Society of New South Wales, in 1862, which 
lived till 1873, and produced two volumes of Transac- 
tions, covering the work of its members between these 
dates, 1862-73. 
Later in the following year (1874), Macleay again 
inspired his friends with his enthusiasm for natural 
science, when they met together and formed the Linnean 
Society of New South Wales. 
I might here just say_a few words in regard to my 
good friend, and the great work that Sir William Macleay 
did in advancing the study of natural science in Aus- 
tralia. We can all claim this big-souled man as a true 
Field Naturalist. Through the medium of the Proceed- 
ings of the Linnean Society, all our naturalists were en- 
abled to publish the results of their observations. He 
formed the Macleay Museum, and sent out collectors (of 
which I had the privilege to be one) all over Australia 
to add to his collections, and gave specimens to workers 
in all branches of natural history to study and describe. 
It was not so much the original work he did himself, and 
that was considerable, that he will be remembered by, as 
it was the helping hand he gave to everyone willing to 
