Page:Some Interesting Links with John Gould.djvu/2

 on the coast range of Rockingham Bay. First seen at Dal - rimple's Gap, they appeared to come from the north and return again in the evening. On the morning before rain this bird assembled in large flocks and just skimmed over the ground with great rapidity; they were all leaving about the latter part of June." This bird was described by Ramsay in Proc. Zool. Soc., 1874.

The next two plates are of Honeyeaters. Of Ptilotis broadbentii, the Bridled Honeyeater, Waller writes:—This Ptilotis is solely an inhabitant of the forest. Mr. Broad - bent says he never saw it in the scrubs; it arrives in Rock - ingham Bay in March. It is not a plentiful bird and very shy, always keeping at the tops of the trees; it is very fond of feeding on the parasitical plants; it is a very pugnacious bird, driving all other birds that approach it. And should this species of Ptilotis prove to be new, after your careful examination, I trust that you will, by my wish, feel fully justified in adopting the name which I assigned to it."
 * I remain, dear sir,
 * Yours faithfully,
 * E. WALLER.

This was named Ptilotis frenata by Ramsay, at the same time as he named the former species in 1874.

Then comes Ptitotis macleayana, of Ramsay, 1875, of which Wailer says:—"This Ptilotis is solely an inhabitant of the scrubs in the vicinity of Rockingham Bay. Mr. Broad - bent says he believes this Ptilotis is a resident only of that port, he having shot it for the space of nine months. It is a very shy and rare bird, he (Mr. Broadbent) states that he never saw two together. In its habits it is like all other Honeyeaters, its food consisting of the honey from various flowers of the scrubs."

These four paintings were sent to Gould in 1874. I also have the original of some score of John Gould's plates, of which by far the most interesting to Australians is Neo - phema splendida, the Scarlet-chested Grass Parrot. This appeared in December, 1847, in Part XXIX. of his Birds of Australia, to replace the plate in Part II. of a single figure, done by Mrs. Gould in 1841. This shows Gould's work at its best. He worked with chalks and pencil, the result was then handed to H. C. Richter to be put on stone. The plate is signed "Gould, 1846," which is getting on for a century ago.

We must remember that in January, 1987, we shall actu - ally celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the appearance of Gould's first book on the Birds of Australia. The ori - ginal paintings of the Birds of Paradise are truly magni - ficent, and must be seen to be appreciated. We have:—

Craspodophora magnifica—The New Guinea Rifle-bird.