Preface -- Introduction -- Mammals -- Birds -- Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish -- Who's Who: the major observers -- List of current common and scientific namesw -- List of illustrations -- Bibliography -- Index
Summary
Late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Eurocentric perceptions of natural history led to the flora and fauna of the new colony of New South Wales being viewed as deficient and inferior. The swans of the colony were black and eagles white, birds built shell-strewn avenues of sticks to cavort in and parrots walked on the ground. Olsen documents how our scientific knowledge evolved, using collectors' and naturalists' journals to enhance her stories
Analysis
Amphibians
Animals
Birds
Fishes
History
Reptiles
Notes
Includes index
Bibliography
Includes bibliographic references (pages 244-251) and index