S28 Repli/ to Art. I. No, XVIII. 



Dr. Horsfield * and mine. In the journal so often alluded to, 

 we had made some remarks upon four species of Mammalia 

 belonging to the collection of the Zoological Society. Upon 

 these four species M. Lesson volunteered some very flippant 

 observations, to which I replied, — for in the present instance I 

 should not feel the slightest objection to take upon myself the 

 entire responsibility, if it so pleases this worthy pair of sud- 

 denly created friends, — to which, I say, I replied in the same 

 strain, by observations equally flippant. If there is any point 

 connected with this subject on which I can condemn myself, it 

 is my having deviated from my accustomed mode of animad- 

 version, and condescended to stoop for, and make use of, my 

 adversary's weapons, after they had fallen harmless from his 

 hand. The whole business, in fact, is but a paltry affair, 

 scarcely worth the time that is spent or the paper blotted by 

 a reference to it. And yet upon this feeble foundation alone, 

 this single discussion between M. Lesson and myself, — a dis- 

 cussion for which that gentleman is responsible, as having 

 provoked it ; a discussion in which he is palpably wrong, and 

 in which, by the way, it is of little consequence whether he 

 was right or wrong, — are rested all those sweeping charges of 

 my combative disposition, all those unmeaning and declam- 

 atory insinuations of my setting at variance the " two greatest 

 nations in the world," and bursting the *' silken cords "^ — yes. 

 Sir, the "silken cords — of friendship and respect that should 

 unite them." 



Once for all, Sir, in order to dismiss these senseless alle- 

 gations of my hostility to the French naturalists, 1 will appeal 

 to such of my works as bear a reference to their labours in 

 science. There your readers will judge for themselves, if 



* Mr. Swainson has insinuated (p. 98.) that Dr. Horsfield had no parti- 

 cipation in the paper which contains our reply to M. Lesson ; and he 

 volunteers to express the difficulty he feels in " divining how his name 

 came to be associated " in that article. Now, I wish not to involve any 

 man in any question that regards myself. I am fully able and willing to 

 vindicate, single-handed, my own cause. But justice to one of my most 

 valued friends will not permit me to allow it to be thought, for a moment, 

 that he would desert an associate at the hour of need. The following 

 extract from a letter of his on this occasion will evince that he does not 

 shrink from the responsibility : — 



" The sorrow which 1 feel, on behalf of the attack that has been made 

 on you by Mr. Swainson, is increased by the consideration that it must 

 have affected you more severely, from the apparent desertion, as insinuated 

 by him, of your unworthy associate. Now, in the case of the papers 

 in question, I feel it my duty to assure you, that I do not at this moment 

 depart from that share of responsibility which devolved on me when the 

 papers were published ; and I consider my name to stand, as it was origin- 

 ally, associated with yours." 



