222 



And here I would pause a iiioiiieut to request the serious 

 attention of my oppoiieuts. " Nothing extenuate, nor set down 

 aught in malice," should ever be one's guiding principle, and in 

 these Notes I have at one and the same time accorded my most 

 pertinacious detractor his fullest dues on finding that he had 

 been undeservedly made to appear in error ; I have laughed at 

 the gentleman " who does not wish his name to appear" when, 

 beaten on more important issues, he characteristically cavilled 

 at trifles ; and I have exposed without compunctiou a deliberate 

 attempt (on the part of one who ought to have known better) 

 to place me, by means that won't bear examination, in 

 an imscientific position which is not, and never has been, 

 mine. I will not labour the point by further comment on the 

 methods adopted in these constantl}' recurring attacks on 

 myself, but I would ask mj' opponents if they really think 

 they are covering themselves with the mantle of dignity, or if 

 they really think that aviculturists as a bodj' are stupid 

 enough to be taken in by speciousness ? Whatever their 

 answer to these questions may be, they may be quite certain of 

 one thing — knowledge marches too rapidly in these days for 

 anyone who assumes the position of an instructor to 

 permanently retain the respect of the multitude, tmless he 

 marches onward as zvell. 



The perennial struggle to get an intelligent hearing has 

 however a brighter side than the one evidenced by the fore- 

 going story. We get glimpses of it in the support of real men 

 of science both at home and abroad, and it is that which gives 

 one encouragement to go on graduall)' replacing one's own 

 ignorance with knowledge. For instance, a foreign University 

 Professor whom I have seen described as a "specialist in two 

 or more of the fields of biology" writes to me on his own 

 initiative, "We are along way apart in miles, but very close 

 together in some points of work and purpose." 



W. Geo. Cresweli.. 



[vSince our going to press, the November issue of our 

 contemporary has appeared. From an editorial footnote we 

 learn (i) that my exposure of the perversion of Nocard is 

 considered too " personal," (2) that the gentleman who perverts 

 Nocard and myself has the pages of the next issue at his 

 command, and (3) that no one will be allowed the privilege of 

 controverting anything he may then choose to say ! I am 

 pleased to see however that no embargo is laid upon my 

 sending the whole correspondence to Prof. Nocard for his 

 inspection, or itpon any further coiirse of action I may decide 

 on taking in the matter. — W. G. C] 



