Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 2: Performed between the years 1818 and 1822King, Philip Parker
History
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 2: Performed between the years 1818 and 1822
King, Philip Parker
Australia -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Australia
Peron and Lesueur, in Baudin's voyage, extended their inquiries chiefly
among the branches of zoological research; but in that expedition each
department of Natural History had its separate collector, and the names
of Leschenault de la Tour, Riedle, Depuch, and Bailly, will not be
forgotten. Unfortunately, the Natural History of this voyage has never
yet been given to the world, the death of M. Peron having put a stop to
its publication; a few of the subjects, however, have been taken up by
MM. Lacepede and Cuvier, and other French naturalists, in the form of
monographs, in their various scientific journals; but the greater part is
yet untouched, probably from the want of the valuable information which
died with its collector. M. Peron, in his historical account of that
expedition, notices a few subjects of zoology that were collected by him,
but in so vague a manner, that it is with very great doubt that the
specimens which we procured, and suspect to be his discoveries, can be
compared with his descriptions.
Of the Natural History collections of Captain Flinders and Mr. Brown, no
account has been published, excepting the valuable botanical works of the
latter gentleman.
With respect to the collection which has been formed upon this
expedition, it is to be regretted that the gleanings of the Animal
Kingdom, particularly of quadrupeds and birds, should have been so
trifling in number; and that the students of Natural History should have
suffered disappointment in what might, at first view, be fairly
considered to have arisen from neglect and careless attention to the
subject; but as the principal, and almost the only, object of the voyage
was the survey of the coast, for which purpose a small vessel was justly
considered the most advantageous, accommodation for a zoological
collection was out of the question. The very few specimens that are now
offered to the world were procured as leisure and opportunity offered;
but many interesting and extremely curious subjects were in fact obliged
to be left behind from want of room, and from our not possessing
apparatus for collecting and preserving them.
A botanical collector for the Royal Garden, Mr. Allan Cunningham, was
attached to the expedition; and this gentleman did not fail to make a
very extensive and valuable collection in his department, the whole of
which is preserved at Kew.
In making out the Appendix, every species brought home (excepting three
or four fishes) has been mentioned, for the sake of furnishing materials
for the students of Geographical Zoology. The distribution of animals is
a branch of study that has been very much neglected, which is to be
lamented, as it appears likely to offer a very great assistance to the
systematic Physiologist; and for this reason the species found at the
Isle of France have been added to the list.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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