APPENDIX. 11 



that those who saw the article, either through an anony- 

 mously-received copy of the Iris paper, or by a perusal of it 

 on the wTapper of the * Naturalist,' would exercise their dis- 

 crimination, and judge of the probability of its truth, from 

 the support afforded me in my position as editor, by metro- 

 politan naturalists immediately around me. 



The Rev. W. T. Bree, whose interest in the prosperity of 

 the Magazine I know to be undiminished, though, of late, he 

 has been a less frequent contributor to its columns, volunta- 

 rily observes, in a letter addressed to me in February, 1838, 

 — " I think the attempts made to decry the Magazine, have 

 " been quite unworthy of naturalists, and, indeed, most un- 

 " handsome ; witness an article in the paper which accom- 

 " panies this, which was sent to me by an unknown hand. — 

 " Probably you have seen the article before this ; 1 quite for- 

 " get the particulars, and shall not peruse them again." It is 

 hardly necessary to state that this paper was a copy of the 

 * Sheffield Iris; ' and Mr. Bree being then a stranger to me, I 

 felt sincerely his kindness in thus giving me the opportunity, 

 had I thought it necessary, to satisfy him as to the fabricated 

 nature of the statements which it contained. If I am blamed 

 for not having, injustice to myself, come forward with these 

 details at the period when the circumstance occurred, I can 

 only say, that I preferred the chance of incurring some share 

 of personal injury, to the task of displaying, in connection 

 with Natural History, a picture of depravity so lamentable 

 as the one now revealed ; and it is only the absolute necessity 

 that exists for my clearing the ground as I advance, that has 

 length compelled me to withdraw the veil from that which I 

 would a thousand times rather should have remained in ob- 

 scurity. 



In the seventh volume of the first series of this journal, 

 page 476, a critical notice is given of a book, entitled, — 

 * Memoirs of Ichthyosauri and Plesiosauri, extinct Monsters 

 of the ancient Earth:' by T. Hawkins, F.G.S. The author 

 of this work had accumulated an extensive series of saurian 

 remains from the lias of Somerset and Dorsetshire, and the 

 collection thus formed was, in the year 1833, offered by its 

 possessor for sale to the British Museum ; and after a consi- 



^ As the name of Mr. Maund, the conductor of the * Botanist' and ' Bo- 

 tanic Garden,' appeared originally on the wrapper of the ' Naturalist,' I am 

 hound to state that I know of nothing whatever to implicate this gentle- 

 man in any of the ahove proceedings. 



