384 Mr. J. S. Bowerbank on Prof. Sedgwick's Reply to some 



XXXIII. — Observations on '^ Prof. Sedgwick's Reply to some 

 Statements reflecting on the University of Cambridge." By 

 J. S. Bowerbank, F.R.S., Hon. Sec. Palseontographical 

 Society. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



Gentlemen, 



In Prof. Sedgwick's "Reply to some statements reflecting on the 

 University of Cambridge/' there is a passage which I cannot 

 allow to pass without a few observations. At page 283, line I, 

 in the number of the Ann. and Mag. Nat, Hist, for April 1854, 

 Prof. Sedgwick writes, " I affirm, that no application, direct or 

 indirect, was ever made to me, either by MM. Edwards and 

 Haime, or by any member of the Palseontographical Society, for 

 a loan of any part of the Cambridge Palaeozoic Fossils." The 

 best reply to this passage will be a short detail of the circum- 

 stances connected with the production of Prof. M. -Edwards and 

 M. Jules Haime's work on the ' Fossil Corals of Great Britain.' 



Previously to the publication of any portion of the work, it was 

 felt necessary by Prof. M.- Edwards to visit London to collect mate- 

 rials forthe proposed monographs, and immediately after his arrival 

 we had several interviews, in the course of which I pointed out to 

 him the various sources whence he might obtain the specimens 

 to be figured and described in the series of Monographs to be 

 produced ; and from the first communication I had with him, I 

 fully understood that his work was intended to embrace, not a 

 part only, but the whole of the Fossil Corals of Great Britain. 



Our supply of Tertiary and Oolitic Corals from the London 

 collections was so complete and abundant as to render us very 

 easy regarding that part of the subject ; but our principal 

 anxiety was on account of the Carboniferous, Silurian and 

 Cambrian Corals. Fortunately I have preserved the rough 

 notes made during the last conference we had on these subjects, 

 and among these notes are the following : — 



" P. M.-E. Letters to Pengelley and Battersby, — Coral from 

 Museum, Dublin. Write Bail, E. W. Fletcher of Dudley, Gray 

 of Dudley, and Sedgwick." The whole of these names, with 

 which Prof. Sedgwick's is associated, are notorious as collectors 

 of Palaeozoic fossils. It is true that I have not the slightest recol- 

 lection of the act of writing to any of these gentlemen, but it is 

 equally true that every one of them, excepting Prof. Sedgwick, 

 kindly and liberally forwarded considerable packages of Palseozoic 

 fossils to Prof. M. -Edwards, at Paris, to aid him in the produc- 

 tion of that portion of his work ; and I therefore feel morally 

 certain that, in accordance with my duty as Secretary of the 



