12:^ Mr, Vigors's Replt/ to some Observations 



One observation more and I have done. The late M. Kuhl, in 

 his Monograph of this family, introduced a practice which well 

 deserves to be imitated, that of placing in a separate station at the 

 end of his Paper all the published species which he had not him- 

 self been able to examine, or which had not been described from 

 authentick sources. Among these doubtful species was the Psiit» 

 pyrrhopterus of Dr. Latham, which, having been described from 

 a single specimen, and a specimen no longer it appears in ex- 

 istence, or capable of being referred to at the time M. Kuhl wrote 

 his Monograph, might with some appearance of justice be assigned 

 this doubtful station. Two living specimens however lately ar- 

 rived in this country from the Sandwich Islands, and came into 

 my possession ; they were immediately characterized and figured 

 in this journal. In the very face nevertheless of this evidence of 

 its existence, the bird, although referred to in the '' Dictionnaire^^ 

 as published in this country, still retains its station in that work 

 among the doubtful species. Here then we have a bird, described 

 by one British naturalist, redescribed by a second, and figured by 

 a third ; and yet in the eyes of M. Dcsmarest, or rather I should 

 say, of his inefficient substitute, it is not of sufficient authority to 

 hold a place among authenticated species. 



I trust. Gentlemen, that, in thus defending Dr. Horsfield and 

 myself against the uncalled for attack that has been levelled 

 against us, I may not be supposed to be actuated by hostile 

 feelings to the French naturalists in general. Those readers who 

 may have paid a casual attention to my exertions in science, must 

 be aware that I have been neither ignorant of the eminent ser- 

 vices in Zoology of our continental neighbours, nor backward in 

 acknowledging them. If there are any of those my exertions upon 

 which I can allow myself to indulge a moment's pride, it is the 

 endeavour, in union with some of the most enlightened Zoologists 

 of this country, to break through the restricted mode of studying 

 nature that has retarded the growth of the science among us, and 

 to open the eyes of our rising naturalists to the improvements of 

 the continental schools. It has been one of our chief objects to 

 point out the true merits of the founders of these schools ; — not, 

 however, with the view of following in their wake, in timid sub- 



