484 chapter of criticism. 



Impropriety of wantonly shooting Birds. 



A fine specimen of the Wryneck ( Yunx torquilla) was shot last week on a 

 Pfear-tree, and brought to me, for which I rewarded the bearer with anathemas ; 

 for I cannot bring my mind to thank the idle youngsters who thus wantonly 

 destroy our beautiful summer visitants, merely because they are possessed of 

 wings. I verily believe a winged seraph would be considered fair game by these 

 mischievous gunners. 



Believe me, with all due apologies for thus intruding upon your attention, to be, 



Dear Sir, most respectfully, 



Your obedient servant, 

 Stoke Ferry, Norfolk, Richard Pigott. 



June 15, 1838. 



QThe remainder of Mr. Pigott's interesting letter is alone postponed until we 

 can insert the sketch which accompanies the portion omitted. — Ed.]] 



CHAPTER OF CRITTCISM. 



To the Editor of The Naturalist. 



My dear Sir, — I observe in your July number, that I am unfortunately the 

 subject of animadversion to two of your correspondents ; and although I should 

 be sorry to see your pages open to any thing like useless controversy, I hope you 

 will allow me a few words in reply to them. 



On the Formation of Pearl. 



To begin, then, with Mr. Levison, who has made some comments (p. 378) on 

 a lecture I delivered before the members of the Doncaster Lyceum, and the first 

 part of which you have published in your Journal (pp.397 — 410). I do not 

 recollect the nature of the complimentary remarks made by the Chairman that 

 evening ; but at any rate, if what he said induced the audience to believe that I 

 had been conducting any original or elaborate experiments on the formation of 

 Pearl, it was very right of Mr. Levison to point out the error. Mr. Levison is 

 also right in his letter in adding that on that subject I had not " promulgated any 

 thing new." The theory that I advanced to account for these productions, was, 

 I believe, that of Cuvier ; it is that of Carus ; I have heard it advanced by 

 our own great comparative anatomist, Grant ; and it is the one adopted by the 

 author of the able article " Conchiferce" in the Cyclopaedia of Anatomy ; nor do 



