These birds’ eggs were collected by Charles Brittlebank before 1910 but at this stage it is not known from which area they came. English-born Charles Brittlebank was a naturalist interested in ornithology, geology and mycology. He was the Government Plant Pathologist for Victoria from 1913 to 1924. He was the first to discover evidence of glaciation in the Werribee Gorge and published many papers on this subject and other aspects of natural history. It is not known when Charles Brittlebank was in the Warrnambool area or the origin of the birds’ eggs but it a very interesting (and perhaps rare) historical collection. .1 Birds’ Eggs - There are 27 eggs, either whole or partial specimens, contained in a box with home–made cardboard partitions. Ten are intact and the rest are broken. Eight are white and the remainder are speckled. The eggs are resting on a turquoise-coloured piece of material .2 Nest – This is woven from hair and fine twigs and is filled with white wool-like fragments .3 Letter – These are two sheets of writing paper with handwritten information in blue ink. .4 Envelope - This is a small envelope which contained the sheets of paper (.3 above) and the front has handwritten material in blue ink..3 ‘To whom it may concern – I hereby declare that these eggs were collected before 1910, and were part of a collection of the late Charles Brittlebank which is now in the Melbourne Museum. Fred. A. Shirrefs.’ .4 ‘To whom it may concern’ charles brittlebank, history of warrnambool

From https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/archiveComponent/1013459255: Australia's first plant pathologist. Lecturer in Biology at Melbourne University from 1884. In 1890 Daniel McAlpine was appointed to the Victorian Department of Agriculture as vegetable pathologist 'to attend to all diseases of plants that might form the subject of inquiry'. In 1911 McAlpine was assigned to the Commonwealth and State governments for four years to undertake researches into bitter pit of apples, a disease he had reported in 1900. Realising the difficulties such an investigation posed, he was reluctant to accept the post but did so 'for the credit of Australia'. He made detailed observations of the disease and published five reports but, unable to discover the cause, found himself arrayed against the Victorian government botanist Professor A. J. Ewart, who mistakenly attributed bitter pit to traces of poison in the soilLarge ledger, dark green cover, red leather spine with inscription. Bitter Pit investigation. Tracking fruit sent to coolstores 3-Jul-1911 to 30-Aug-1916. From Agricultural Department, fruit from all over the state - not just Ringwood. Some is from N.S.W. Only pages 1 & 2 scanned as examples. Specimen Book; Vegetable Pathology; Agricultural Department; Coolstore