Defence ofce7iain French Naturalists. 101 



of his colleagues, a determination to depreciate the zoological 

 labours of this country, and to " check them in their infancy." 

 Nor do we see the slightest occasion for this " Keply " being 

 set forth, as if the matter in dispute was of national, or para- 

 mount importance. If it is considered essential to science, that 

 every writer who makes a dissent, is to be answered by a pam- 

 phlet, we must all sit down and begin writing " Replies ; " and 

 if it is reprehensible to reject this new distribution of the Psit- 

 tacidae, we ourselves must be condemned: since we now 

 venture to hint to its author, that this arrangement, even in 

 reference to that system which he professes to follow, and 

 which he fancies he has demonstrated, is false from its very 

 foundation. 



We have ever found M. Desmarest (so far as our own 

 researches have gone) equally exact with M. Lesson in quot- 

 ing the authority of British naturalists, and thereby doing 

 justice to their discoveries and their labours. Neither of 

 these gentlemen, it is true, has chosen to adopt those pecu- 

 liar modes of arrangement which, to a certain extent, are 

 prevalent in this country : but while one of the greatest orna- 

 ments to the entomological science of Britain, or indeed of 

 Europe, has expressed his dissent from some of these opi- 

 nions *, and much difference exists regarding the correctness of 

 others, we need not be angry with foreigners for preferring 

 their own modes of studying nature. 



The last of these attacks we shall notice is that which has 

 more especially awakened our attention to this subject. It is 

 altogether of a much more decided nature, since it is pointedly 

 made upon both these naturalists at once. It assumes, more- 

 over, the aspect of authority, being avowedly " published 

 with the sanction of the council, and under the superintend- 

 ence of the secretary and vice-secretary, of the Zoological 

 Society." The work which bears this high official stamp is a 

 very pretty, but, as it regards science, a somewhat trivial perio- 

 dical.f If the reader turn to No. viii. (the last number, as 

 we are informed, which has been published), he will find the 

 following passages relative to the Malayan Tapir, brought in 

 to illustrate the history of the Amciican species : — 



" The history of this transaction (the discovery of the Tapir 

 of India) affords too striking an illustration of the injustice of 

 certain among the French zoologists to the merits of our 

 countrymen to be passed over without observation. 



* Introduction to Entomology (Kirby and Spence). 

 \ The Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Society. Small 8vp, 

 published monthly in 2e. 6d, numbers. 



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