498 Mr. Suainson's Reply to his Reviewers. 



nay, my firm belief, that he has adroitly used the information 

 thus given him, as a weapon of offence against myself. 



I cannot feel flattered by the " faint praise " the writer has 

 thought fit to sprinkle in his review. He lauds me for what 

 any one, at all conversant with technical Ornithology, is able 

 to do as well as myself; — he lauds, in short, only what he can 

 understand. But those higher objects of the science, those 

 generalizations of innumerable facts, which have cost me a 

 life to put together, these his limited knowledge renders him 

 wholly incapable of understanding : they are therefore called 

 " theoretical notions," — " which it is impossible to discuss ;" 

 — and in this latter he says most truly, for how can we discuss 

 a subject we have never studied ? 



To " errors and misprints" I believe I must plead guilty ; 

 it is a fault I always have had, and am afraid I always shall 

 have. The revises, however, in the present instance, went to 

 Sir W. Jardine, for his perusal and correction, and therefore 

 the blame is as much his as mine. 



If that captious and disputatious spirit which is now rife 

 among naturalists, particularly the j uniors, is to go on, I see 

 no other result than that the lovers of quiet should draw away 

 in disgust. Do we find this same spirit among botanists ? — 

 Certainly not ! For myself, I shall studiously avoid, in fu- 

 ture, all praise or blame to others. My greatest enemies, if 

 I have any, must confess that I have ever been impartial in 

 this respect, and as eager to exhibit the excellencies of my 

 predecessors, as to animadvert on what I thought their de- 

 fects. I wish to follow peace, and live in charity and good- 

 will with all men ; but to do this, as the world is now con- 

 structed, it is absolutely necessary, sometimes, to raise one's 

 voice against those who would trample upon a patient and 

 retired student, merely because, unfortunately for himself, he 

 has acquired some notoriety. 



With many apologies to you and your readers for thus ob- 

 truding myself on their notice, at so much greater length than 

 I originally intended, I here conclude. 



I remain, Sir, 

 Your obedient Servant, 



W. Swainson. 



[Although we would much rather have avoided incurring the charge of 



