John Gould

“ The exploration of every new district has afforded ample proof of the existence of species in every department of zoology with which we were previously unacquainted. Under these circumstances, I do not consider my work to be in any way complete, or that it comprises nearly the whole of the Mammals of a country of which so much has yet to be traversed; but I bring it to a close after an interval of eighteen years since it's commencement, during which constant attention has been given to the subject, as treating upon the genera and species known up to the present time. ”

“ Perchance a half-charred log, or the heated hollow branch of a Eucalyptus, would send forth into the lap of one or other of the surrounding guests the Acrolates pygmæus, the white-footed Hapalotis, or other small quadruped. Tired by a long and laborious day's walk under a burning sun, I frequently encamped for the night by the side of a river, a natural pond, or a water-hole, and before retiring to rest not unfrequently stretched my weary body on the river's bank ”

“ It will be observed that, in mentioning the localities frequented by the various species, I have mostly used the term Van Diemen's Land for the large island lying off the south coast of Australia; there is now, however, a very general desire that it should be called Tasmania—in honour of Tasman, its original discoverer; this term has, therefore, also been used, and hence has arisen the discrepancy of using two names for one island. Even since the commencement of the work, new colonies have sprung up, or the older ones have been divided ”

“ With such scenes as these continually around me, is it surprising that I should have entertained the idea of collecting examples of the indigenous Mammals of a country whose ornithological productions I had gone out expressly to investigate? To have attempted to acquire a knowledge of more than the Birds and Mammals would have been unwise ”