Unpublished notebook containing some of the earliest known scientific descriptions of Australian fauna, based on observations of participants in Cook's first voyage to the Pacific aboard HM Bark Endeavour. The notebook (octavo bound in vellum) summarises mostly zoological information given to Pennant by his close associates, Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Carl Solander, and by other members of the Endeavour crew. Besides references to Australian fauna, the volume contains notes about species in New Zealand, South East Asia (particularly Java) and South Africa, presumably observed by Banks and others on the return voyage. Notes about animals and birds of the North Pacific were most likely added by Pennant in later years, based on information collected on Cook's second and third voyages.
The bulk of the papers comprise original manuscripts of works by Collingridge. They consist of drafts of a number of his published works, together with drafts of a large number of articles. Some of the manuscripts include sketches, maps, mock-ups and lists of subscribers. Apart from one business letter, there is no correspondence included in the papers. Most of the papers are undated.