372 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, (Sfc. 



see that any advantage was to be derived from adverting to the 

 circumstance. However, within the last few weeks, an announce- 

 ment has again appeared in the public prints that a collection 

 of British Birds' Eggs, the bulk of which " was formed by Dr. 

 Martin Barry," would be sold at Mr. Stevens's on the 6th and 

 7th May. The catalogue of this sale was evidently from the same 

 pen that had indited the previous one we have noticed, and we 

 feel it incumbent upon us to denounce it as one of the grossest 

 cases of attempted imposition we have ever heard of. We say 

 " attempted," because we believe that the knowledge of many 

 collectors in the rooms at the time of sale prevented their being 

 taken in; but with some of our less experienced brethren we 

 fear the case may have been different. We can only hope that 

 our now drawing attention to these facts will prevent any re- 

 currence of the fraud, should such a thing be contemplated ; 

 and further, that Mr. Stevens will not hesitate to decline all 

 future dealings with persons who are likely to bring so much 

 discredit on a long-established business, which we believe has 

 hitherto been conducted with entire good faith. It may be an 

 unpleasant act for him to perform, but he may rely upon our 

 full sympathy ; and we are sure that all honest ornithologists, 

 both amateurs and professionals (to each of which classes his 

 constant sales are matters of so much convenience), will support 

 him in his refusal. It only remains for us to say that not the 

 slightest reliance is to be placed upon any one statement con- 

 tained in either of these catalogues, unless it be elsewhere corro- 

 borated by other evidence ; and that the scientific value of what 

 is called Mr. Salmon's Collection of Eggs, in the apartments of 

 the Linnean Society, is exactly nothing at all. 



We have received the following letter from a correspondent, 

 who signs himself " Oophilus," relating partly to the same 

 subject : — 



Sir, — It has ever been the fate of true science to be attended 

 by the false maiden who travesties her every step and parodies 

 all her discoveries. The astrologist has mocked the astronomer ; 

 chemistry has been persecuted by the alchemist. Though her 



