[198] APPENDIX. 



" Mr. 8waln6on*s name was among the first set down : this was done 

 when he had resolved .upon living in London. Soon after, however, cir- 

 cumstances induced him once more to return to the country, and fix his 

 residence at St. Albans. An interval of near two years had elapsed ; and 

 he had never been able to visit the Society's Gardens or Museum, or had 

 he heard any thing of its present plans or progress. On writing, there- 

 fore, for some information, and learning that the Society was not, like 

 others of a scientific nature, interested in receiving papers or publishing 

 transactions, and that the only advantage he would derive would be the 

 permission to see the Museum and Gardens ; Mr. Swainson requested to 

 withdraw his name ; first, because the advantages held out in return for a 

 heavy payment were of such a nature that he could rarely, if ever, avail 

 himself of them j and, secondly, because his fortune is not sufficiently large 

 to allow of his belonging to any more Societies where honours are to be 

 purchased,'* 



Mr. Swainson goes on to state the particulars of the case on which he 

 grounds his charge of illiberality : — 



10. " Subsequently, for the adTantage of Dr. Richardson's work, I asked permission to use their 

 Museum : permission was granted, but with this extraordinary condition, that whatever 1 wished 

 to know was to be learned at the discretion of the Secretary ; in other words," — 



Mark the accurate logic of this subtle reasoner ! — 



** in other vjords, I was prohibited the free use of my own eyes and my own judgment; and 

 Was to solicit those of another, incompetent to understand, much less to throw light upon, my 

 enquiries. I went, however, to Bruton Street, — and I was pencilling some notes upon a well known 

 bird, when Mr. Bennett, with evident reluctance, interfered. He stated that, as Mr. Vigors was 

 absent, I could not, agreeably to his express orders, proceed with my notes, the species I was 

 examining not being an atretic bird." 



|;Note.] " I accordingly applied a second time for • unrestrained ' permission, and was then 

 ofccially refused." 



It would be a senseless waste of time to throw it away upon a reply to 

 the earlier part of the above paragraph. Is there an institution in the 

 world, of which a stranger can be allowed the privileges without some 

 restraint ? The Council would have deserted their duty, they would have 

 nullified the privileges of the supporters of the Institution, had they granted 

 Mr. Swainson's request without this necessary, this usual condition. They 

 did no more than the managers of the Paris establishment in the very 

 instance of liberality afforded to Mr. Swainson himself; where the per- 

 sons in authority merely exercised the discretionary powers vested in them. 

 Mr. Swainson, had he not sought for a ground of cavil, had he really 

 desired to consult the contents of the Museum, would have found the 

 same extensive compliance with his wishes as he met with in Paris, and 

 which, it is to be hoped, he would have experienced in every quarter of 

 the globe where science is cultivated. Dr, Richardson met with it, when 

 engaged on the same undertaking ; and Mr. Swainson, from his constant 

 intercourse at the period with Dr. Richardson, must have equally been 

 aware of the extent to which he could have commanded it. 



But it appears that Mr. Bennett interfered with Mr. Swainson's free 

 inspection of some birds in the Museum. Now, Sir, I wish I was as cor- 

 dially given credit for Mr. Bennett's good qualities as I am for his imputed 

 misdemeanours. But really it is not fair to make me at all times answerable 

 for what Mr. Swainson considers his misdeeds, either in print or in office. 

 On this point, however, Mr. Bennett distinctly states that he has no re- 

 collection of any such observations having fallen from him in his inter- 

 views with Mr. Swainson, as those imputed to him above. On the contrary, 

 he agrees with me that it is impossible he could have said that, " as 

 Mr. Vigors was absent, Mr. S. could not, agreeably to his express orders, 

 proceed with his notes." Our reasons are, in the first place, because the 

 Secretary never gives ordei's to the Vice- Secretary, who, according to the 



