THE MAGAZINE 



OF 



NATURAL HISTORY, 



MARCH, 1831. 



Art. I. A Defence of^^ certain French Naturalists.'' By William 

 SwAiNsoN, Esq. F.R.S. F.L.S. &c. &c. 



If we were called upon to describe those signs which indi- 

 cate the decline of science in any age or country, we should 

 at once enumerate the three following : — First, The denial of 

 the greatest and most acknowledged truths by bold and specious 

 reasoners. Secondly, The zealous adoption by some, and the 

 unqualified rejection by others, of theories or systems "which 

 neither party understood. Thirdly, The substitution of flowery 

 and sententious oratory for the results of deep and patient 

 research. If to these we added a spirit of dissension and 

 of invective, against all who thought differently from our- 

 selves, we should not overcharge that picture which zoological 

 science, in this country, has exhibited during the last few 

 years. We shall, upon this occasion, confine our remarks 

 to the latter evil. 



Those who, with us, deprecate such a state of things as 

 injurious to the best interests of science, must have observed, 

 with deep regret, the extraordinary mode of conducting 

 scientific discussions which has of late arisen among us, and 

 which now forms the conspicuous feature of a scientific jour- 

 nal more particularly devoted to zoology. We should not, 

 however, class all papers of this nature under the same head. 

 There are some which wear an appearance of being private 

 communications, addressed particularly to private individuals, 

 and as such should not have been published. The state and 

 duties of society are such, that, however warmly and allow- 

 ably a man may express ridicule or contempt in a private 

 letter, his sense of what is due to the courtesies of life will 

 generally withhold him from using similar expressions in 



Vol. IV. — No. 18. h 



