APPENDIX. 55 



Charlesworth, in referring to the first mammiferous tooth found at Kyson, 

 ought to have mentioned the opinion given by Professor Owen respecting 

 its marsupial character. 



Mr. Charlesworth felt himself at liberty to refer in his paper to the tooth 

 in question, because, he having been the first to detect its mammiferous 

 nature and consequent geological importance, had received from its dis- 

 coverer, Mr. Colchester, express permission to figure and describe it pre- 

 viously to the loan of the specimen being obtained by Mr. Lyell. 



The comparison, however, of the tooth, with a view to its identification 

 with an existing mammiferous type, was undertaken by Professor Owen 

 at the request of, and whilst the specimen was in Mr. Lyell's possession ; 

 and although Mr. Charlesworth certainly was informed of the result of 

 the comparison, he at the same time understood that Mr. Lyell himself 

 intended to communicate that result at Birmingham, to the British Asso- 

 ciation. 



Professor Owen, moreover, previously to his quitting London to attend 

 the Birmingham Meeting, intimated to Mr. Charlesworth, that it was his 

 intention again carefully to examine the tooth, as he thought it might 

 possibly be referable to a genus among the Quadrumana. 



For these reasons Mr. Charlesworth studiously avoided stating that 

 Professor Owen had identified the first tooth as belonging to au opossum, 

 more especially as he himself had had no share in that identification, and 

 consequently no right to publish the circumstance even had no doubt 

 existed as to the fact. 



From the tenor of Mr.' Lyell's reply, Mr. Charlesworth infers, that Mr. 

 Lyell admits, on his part, the having charged Mr. Charlesworth with the 

 undue appropriation of information derived from Professor Owen ; but as 

 no circumstance named in Mr. Lyell's reply would appear to bear out, or 

 even afford a pretext for, such a charge, Mr. Charlesworth still considere 

 that the matter requires explanation. 



Octobers!. 



No. 35. 



Mr. Lyell read, with no small surprise, in a letter from Mr. Charles- 

 worth delivered to him this morning, Mr. Charlesworth's allegation that 

 " he had studiously avoided stating that Prof. Owen had identified the first 

 tooth as belonging to an opossum, because Prof. Owen, previously to his 

 quitting London to attend the Birmingham meeting, had intimated to Mr. 

 Charlesworth that the tooth in question might possibly be referable to a 

 quadrumanous genus." 



Mr. Lyell had conversed at Birmingham with Prof. Owen, on the sub- 

 ject of the opossum's tooth, both before reading his paper to the Brit. Assn. 

 and afterwards, and then again in Septr. at the Coll. of Surgs. in London. 

 It was not till three weeks ago that Prof. Owen first called on Mr. Lyell to 

 say that he began to entertain doubts, and to invite Mr. L. to accompany 

 him to the Coll. Surgs., where, after a careful comparison, it was decided 

 that the tooth was not marsupial, but the molar of a Macacus. 



Accordingly Mr. L. applied to day to Prof. O., and received an answer 

 of which the following is a full and exact copy. 



Royal College of Surgeons, 



Nov. 1, 1839. 



My dear Lyell, 



I neither entertained nor expressed at any time previous to 



