FAMOUS BIRD MAN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 April 1940, Page 7

FAMOUS BIRD MAN

RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA. Mr Gregory Mathews, one of the foremost ornithologists in the world has returned to Australia from England to supervise the unpacking of the Australian ornithological library which he has presented to the Australian nation. Born in a bush cottage in northern New South Wales in 1876. Mr Mathews was brought up a country boy who "never knew that birds had Latin names." Later he became a nomenclature of Australian birds and the time ho went to England 4i years ago. studying under Dr Dowdier Sharpe at the Natural History Museum South Kensington, he knew every Australian bird by sight and call.'He began to acquire an immense collection, which eventually numbered 40.000 specimens and took 16 years to amass. “It was intended." said Mr Mathews in Sydney, "that these specimens should go to the British Museum, but they went eventually to New York. This was a very painful event to me and I prefer not to discuss it." Two of Australia's largest and most important bird collections are now in American museums, John Gould's huge collection, containing many type specimens, having been acquired many years ago by an institution in Philadelphia. Mr Mathews' work on the scientific nomenclature of Australia birds and his book. "Birds of Australia." the standard work on the ornithology of Australia, won him world-wide fame and. a C’.B.E.