E. Billings on Prof, HaWs recent puhlicofion. 391 



names of his genera, he gives the public to nndersland ihrtt he 

 has described the genera in question in some other work, publish- 

 ed at the time indicated by those dates. On Prof. Hall's own 

 showing therefore, the first 17 or 18 pages of the sheets in my 

 possession had been published about five months, and the sub- 

 stance of the other 8 pages two or three years before I procured 

 them. He says that there must have been 56 pages, but this as- 

 sertion is totally untrue; I received only 25.* An intimate friend 

 of his saw them in my room, and informed him that I had 

 some of his proof sheets. This same friend afterwards called and 

 said he had been instructed by Prof. Hall to inquire into the 

 matter. Fearing they might get some innocent person into trouble 

 (although I could not see how), I refused to give him any further 

 information than he possessed ; and, besides, removed the sheets 

 from my office, and never saw them again until this day. 

 The above are all the facts relating to these proof sheets, and 

 the reader can see that it was not intended to take any advantage 

 of Prof. Hall ; and, further, that the work came into my hands in 

 the form of sheets quite accidentally, and with no desire on my 

 part to procure it in that form. Prof. Hall is well aware of 

 all the circumstances, and why cannot he give a true and fair ac- 

 count of them. By blending a mere particle of truth with a great 

 deal that is not true, he has magnified 25 pages obtained uninten- 

 tionally after publication, into whole volumes of proof sheets pro- 

 cured designedly before. This is only a continuation of the un- 

 fair treatment I have received from him during the last four years. 

 It may be that the proof sheets of the tenth and other reports 

 mentioned by him were obtained by parties interested in their 

 contents, but they never were by me ; and yet by a special reference 

 to two articles well known to have been written by me, he makes 

 it appear that I procured them. I would recommend all persons 



* la one of ray papers I have said 18 pages, but I had not the work 

 before me, and supposed I had only the number mentioned in Silliman. 

 I have, in order to make certain, looked them up and find that there are 

 1*7 leaves, the first nine of which were printed on both sides, and the 

 other 8 on one side only. There were thus, just 25 printed pages be- 

 sides the title page. The fact of the last 8 leaves being printed ou 

 one side only, convinces me that the work had only proceeded as far as 

 page 25 when these sheets were procured. I shall always believe there- 

 fore that the description of Triplesia on page 44 (of the 12 Rep.) was 

 drawn up after Prof. Hall had seen m^ description of Camerella. 



