10* Defence of certain French Naturalists, 



sion, in short, would be given to any Englishman ignorant 

 of the arts of literary puffing ; for we know no other term by 

 which to express the absurdity of affixing such an imposing 

 weight of authority to so very trivial a production- How far 

 the book may really possess these claims to our notice, we 

 know not ; but of this we feel quite sure, that the council of 

 the Zoological Society would never intentionally sanction such 

 assertions and insults as these, which are here made to appear 

 as their own : while the known urbanity, and the solid, unos- 

 tentatious acquirements of the vice-secretary form a sufficient 

 assurance that he, at least, is not the guilty person. 



But, if we are to suppose for a moment that this is a just 

 and legitimate style of animadversion, we will now inform the 

 writer, that he has exposed himself to the very same degree 

 of censure. In the 11th number of the same publication is 

 an erroneous and a meagre account of the famous Hyacinthine 

 Maccaw, of which the writer states that " no author of the 

 jp7'esent century appears to have observed it, "with the exception 

 of M. Spix." Now, it so happened, that at the very time when 

 M. Spix was travelling towards that part of Brazil * where 

 alone this magnificent species is supposed to be found, we 

 had actually returned to Europe with four specimens. Two 

 of these are in two different collections, which Mr. Vigors is 

 in the constant habit of visiting and consulting; one being 

 that of Mr. Leadbeater the bird-stuffer, the other that of the 

 Linnean Society ; the gift to the latter (but not the account 

 we sent of its habits and locality) being recorded in the 14th 

 volume of their Transactions (p. 601.). Upon these facts, 

 therefore, we might, with as much show of reason, and in the 

 same style, indulge ourselves in an invective against " striking 

 injustice," " wilful misrepresentation," &c. &c. But what is 

 the most probable, and the most candid inference ? Merely, 

 that the writer of the above passage had omitted to inform 

 himself upon the subject he was treating about. 



But the detractor of MM. Desmarest and Lesson has ex- 

 posed himself to a much graver charge than mere carelessness ; 

 a charge, in fact, which is precisely similar to that which he 

 has brought forward against these gentlemen in its worst 

 features, even if the construction put upon their error had 



* The Campos and Catingas of the interior of Bahia, between the forests 

 of Urupie and the banks of the Rio St. Francesco. When we embarked 

 for Europe at Rio de Janeiro, MM. Spix and Martins had just quitted that 

 city, on their journey to the above-named province. Although " vague 

 rumours " (as in the case of the Malay Tapir) had existed in Europe about 

 the country of this superb and rare species, we were the first to discover 

 it« true locality, and the first to import it into Britain at least from its native 

 wilds. 



