496 Reply of Mr, Stephens 



to reach being to the end of the Bostricidae in the Mandibulata, 

 and to that of the Geometridae in the Haustellata, as I had, 

 in hke manner, determined to carry the fourth volumes re- 

 spectively to Hispa on the one hand, and to the end of the 

 Lepidoptera on the other. Acting, therefore, upon my deci- 

 sion, the third volumes were thus terminated, notwithstanding, 

 when I collated the MSS., I found they would so considerably 

 exceed their due bounds. And when I state as facts that the 

 ten sheets published in December and January were written, 

 printed, corrected, and published during those two months; 

 to accomplish which, I was actually compelled to labour during 

 two entire nights, my time being limited to five evenings in the 

 week only, and to a short period each morning ; the cause of 

 the conclusion of the volume of Haustellata not appearing so 

 soon as promised may be rendered manifest. And I may add 

 that, in consequence of my proceeding with the MSS. of the 

 last-mentioned volume, which I could not send to press, from 

 the tabular views of the iVbctuidae and Geometridae not being 

 drawn up (a task, I freely confess, I had not sufficient confi- 

 dence to attempt, nor time to devote thereto, and was at last 

 compelled to postpone to the end of the volume), a single 

 sheetof Coleopterawas published in February; the only month 

 this year in which there has been a real deficiency of letter- 

 press : the January number (xl.) containing six sheets ; March, 

 three ; April, four ; May, four ; June, three ; July, five : equal 

 to twenty-six, as distributed by me * ; and the number of 

 figures being thirty-three, or six sheets and three figures above 

 the quantity required for seven months, and consequently so 

 much towards getting up the arrears, which last I have never 

 attempted to deny. What " paltry advantages," therefore, 

 I have taken, in the prosecution of my work, I must leave to 

 the astuteness of Mr. Davis to discover. I may, however, here 

 take the opportunity of noticing a point with which, although 

 a bookseller, he appears to be unacquainted. Amongst his 

 other assertions, he finds it convenient to confound a matter 

 of courtesy with a right, by stating that I " debar my sup- 

 porters from their undoubted privilege " of withdrawing their 

 support. Now, the general fact is (not that I wish to apply it 

 to my case) that an " original subscriber " has no right to 

 withdraw his name, and can be compelled to " finish what 



* The custom of the book-trade requiring that periodicals shall be ready 

 by an early hour on the morning of publication, has occasionally caused a 

 dissimilarity in the contents of the numbers, as distributed by my pub- 

 lishers and myself, as in some instances an additional sheet has been ready 

 by the 1st of the month, which I have sent out to my subscribers. 



