Page:Nests and eggs of Australian birds 1901.djvu/19

 boyhood he was fond of field sports of all kinds. Getting into disgrace over a horse-racing incident (one cannot touch pitch without soiling one's hands), he quitted England for the wild mountains and woods of Norway and Sweden. Subsequently he resolved to have "a spell" in a more sunny clime, and turned his attention to Australia. Mr. Wheelwright arrived in Victoria, March, 1833; and, like thousands of others at that time, departed for the gold diggings, but was unsuccessful. He became acquainted with Mr. C. J. Stafford, like himself, of a naturalist turn of mind, and, as mates, they camped for about five years (1853-8) at Mordialloc, now the popular sea-side resort, 16½ miles by rail from Melbourne. The exact spot of the camp was between the road and the beach, just opposite the railway station. For sport and livelihood they shot game in that district and in Western Port for the market; and it was that period of five years which constituted Mr. Wheelwright's "Bush Wanderings," wherein he mentions one hundred and ninety species of birds (giving the habits of some), twenty-two animals, besides reptiles, fish, and insects. When Mr. Wheelwright gave up camp life, he immediately sailed for England, writing up his notes on the passage home.

Sylvester Diggles (Queensland), an artist and musician by profession, was an entomologist as well as an omitliologist- He was enthusiastic, patient and persevering. During his twenty-two years of research, he punted no less than six hundred Australian birds and wrote descriptions thereof, but owing to the want of sufficient funds, only a portion was published, under the somewhat ambitious title, "The Ornithology of Australia." It was his death-blow that the Government would not assist him. Truly it has been written, "a prophet is not without honour save in his own country."

Mr. Diggles was one of the first promoters of the Philosophical Society of Queensland. He died 21st March, 1880.

Thomas Henry Bowyer-Bower (son of Captain Bowyer-Bower, England) indirectly sacrificed his life in the interests of ornithology. He collected some seven hundred bird skins in the neighbourhood of Derby, North-west Australia. Of that number, unfortunately, two hundred were burnt by a bush fire. It was Mr. Bowyer-Bower's intention to return the following dry season (winter) to make good his loss and to supplement his not«s; but alas! he contracted typhoid fever, and died at Port Darwin. 23rd December, 1886, at the early age of 24. Mr. Walter Burton (Wardour Street, London, W.), who accompanied Mr. Bowyer-Bower as professional