British Association. 501 



We can readily imagine the self-satisfaction accompanying Mr. Swain- 

 son's no less convenient than ingenious belief, that limited zoological 

 knowledge is the barrier to the comprehension of the natural system with 

 those who, like ourselves, have never come forward as converts to the prin- 

 ciples embodied in his views of zoological classification. There is, however, 

 one class of inquirers, whose opinions, in relation to this matter, must be 

 entitled to somewhat more consideration, since they cannot be disposed of 

 in quite so summary a manner as our own. It happens that an instance or 

 two have come under our notice, and possibly Mr. Swainson, were he to ex- 

 ert his powers of recollection, could call to mind the like occurrence, of 

 individuals, who at one time did possess the requisite amount of zoological 

 knowledge to admit all Mr. Swainson's positions, and to appreciate the force 

 of all his generalizations, but who having nevertheless their understandings 

 open to conviction, proceeded in the field of scientific research until a wider 

 sphere of observation, and a greater accumulation of experience, enabled 

 them to discriminate, perhaps with greater accuracy than formerly, between 

 positive truisms and assumed facts, between "theoretical notions" and mat- 

 ters capable of demonstration, — a condition of things bringing about, curi- 

 ously enough, an abandonment in toto on their part of the natural system. 



The existence of such a class as this, we presume, Mr. Swainson will not 

 attempt to dispute ; and although he may argue that the individuals so 

 circumstanced merely constitute an aberrant group of non-conformists to 

 the quinary doctrines, yet it is plain that incapability of comprehension can- 

 not be brought to his assistance, as a solution of the phenomenon of 

 their recantation, and it will be necessary for Mr. Swainson to frame some 

 special rule applicable to the exigencies of the occasion, in order to remove 

 what must otherwise be a stumbling-block in the way of the general intro- 

 duction of his principles. 



We understand the allusion to the disputatious spirit among the '"'•juni- 

 ors" and most certainly we yield the precedence both in years and experience 

 to the author of the Muscicapidce^but at the same time we venture to remark 

 that although he should live, as we sincerely trust he may, to the age of three- 

 score years and ten, and multiply his observations an hundred fold, the qui- 

 nary millennium, at the expiration of that period, may be as far distant as 

 at the present moment, unless the indications of the existence of the so- 

 called natural system, shall be shewn to admit of a nearer approach to- 

 wards legitimate demonstration, by a course of induction more logical in 

 its nature, more philosophical in its principles, than that which we can 

 gather from the writings of Mr. Swainson.] — Ed. 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 



Meeting of the British Association. — We do not think it ne- 

 cessary to place before our readers an outline of the subjects 

 relating to Natural History, brought forward at the present 

 meeting of the British Association at Newcastle, because the 

 public have access to reports of its scientific proceedings 

 through so many readily accessible channels ; but we avail 

 ourselves of the Athenaeum, to transfer from the columns of 

 that journal an interesting letter from Lord Tankerville, on 

 the wild cattle in Chillingham Park, addressed to Mr. Hind- 

 Vol. II.— No. 21. n. s. 2 b 



