Revieiv of Dr. Finsch's ' Die Papageien.' 283 



German gentlemen, and, without mentioning any reasons, they 

 were asked to translate it. One is a gentleman of the highest 

 scientifie distinction, the other an independent gentleman of 

 education, both understanding, writing, and speaking English 

 perfectly. By both it was thus rendered : " This (point) , 

 namely, relates to the alleged (angeblich) green coloration 

 of the female as stated by Blyth, etc.^^ By Mr. Hume the 

 German word "angeblich"' is translated ^' pretended;"' and 

 having laid, through this misrendering of its true meaning, 

 the foundation of a charge of discourtesy against Dr. Finsch, he 

 observes half a page fui'ther on ; " Here then are Dr. Finsch's 

 strong proofs ; proofs which in his opinion justify his speaking 

 of what Jerdon, Layard, Blyth, Hutton, and a dozen other 

 Indian naturalists have stated as facts, the result of their 

 personal observations, as 'pretences' " {t.c. p. 14). I am 

 also assured by my two German friends that there is neither 

 in the sentence quoted, nor throughout Dr. Finsch's argu- 

 ment, a trace of discourtesy to any one, and that by no fair 

 construction, more especially when judged by the context, can 

 the word " angeblich " be here rendered by the English verb 

 " pretend " in its oiffensive sense. It will also be observed 

 that Captain Hutton's name, not to mention the " dozen other 

 Indian naturalists," is introduced by Mr. Hume, although 

 not alluded to by Dr. Finsch, and moreover although Mr. 

 Hume must have been well aware that Captain Hutton had 

 never published any remarks on Parrots previous to 1873 

 that could reasonably be known to Dr. Finsch"^. Mr. Hume 

 having, by this skilful introduction of the offensive word 

 ''pretences," created in the superficial reader a prejudice 

 against Dr. Finsch, proceeds, with many italicized words and 

 outbursts of infallibility, to discuss Dr. Finsch's " proofs," and 

 then continues, " Nothing, we are again informed, is said of 

 the young. Well let our oldest Indian naturalist, who knew 

 all about these Paroquets long before Dr. Finsch was born, 

 enlighten him " {t. c. p. 14) . Captain Hutton's description 



* As a matter of fact I believe there were no published remarks on the 

 subject by Captain Hutton extant when Dr. Finsch wrote, much less by 

 a " dozen other Indian naturalists." 



