"There are more things in heaven and earth
Than are dreamt of in our philosophy."
--Hamlet
These features form an interesting retrospect of early Melbourne. They
have nearly all disappeared since with the growth of town and
population. Some who preceded me saw the kangaroo sporting over the site
of Melbourne--a pleasure I never enjoyed, as the timid creatures fled
almost at once with the first colonizing inroad. I have spoken of the
little bell bird, which, piping its pretty monotone, flitted in those
earlier years amongst the acacias on the banks of the Yarra close to
Melbourne, but which has taken its departure to far distances many a
year ago. The gorgeous black cockatoo was another of our early company,
now also long since departed. For a very few years after my arrival they
still hovered about Melbourne, and I recollect gazing in admiration at a
cluster of six of them perched upon a large gum-tree near the town, upon
the Flemington-road. The platypus, also, was quite plentiful, especially
in the Merri Creek. Visiting, about 1843, my friend Dr. Drummond, who
had a house and garden at the nearest angle of the creek, about two
miles from town, we adjourned to a "waterhole" at the foot of the
garden, on the chance of seeing a platypus, and sure enough, after a
very few minutes, one rose before us in the middle of the pool.