490 Letters, Announcements, ^'c. 



received. A translation of Forster^s Avork, made by Dr. Aiken 

 of Yarmouth, was reprinted and published in 1795, as stated 

 by Pennant, to which was added the ' Faunula ludica ' of 

 Latham and Davies. I think, therefore, we shall be obliged 

 to accept Rhinoplax vigil as the only proper name for the 

 Helmeted Hornbill, and also Rhytidoceros pUcatus for the 

 Papuan Wreathed Hornbill, the synonymy of which was so 

 clearly given by Lord Tweeddale in the July '^Ibis.' I have 

 always considered, Messrs. Editors, and I think you will agree 

 with me, that it is the duty of one who writes a monograph, 

 to state all the facts he may discover in regard to his subject, 

 no matter what the effect may be on its nomenclature (which 

 may previously have been but imperfectly understood), or 

 what preconceived opinions may be shown to be erroneous, 

 and also to give to the original describer of a species, where- 

 ever he may be found, after 1766, the credit due to his work 

 and the priority which is his right ; and it is to carry this out 

 in all fairness that I have accepted Forster^s work (even if it 

 be only a Latin or German translation of an unpublished 

 English one) in its entirety as that of a thoroughly reliable 

 and competent author, in the present instance to the dis- 

 comfiture and confusion of Boddaert and Gmelin, who mis- 

 takingly supposed they enjoyed the precedence. 



I am, &c.^ 



D. G. Eluot. 

 Paris, 10th July. 



[Pennant's positive statement, as quoted by Mr. Elliot, 

 that Forster was the author of the ' Faunula Indica,' and 

 Forster's equally positive assertion that Pennant was its author, 

 leave us, as far as our present information goes, in a position 

 of complete uncertainty to whom to ascribe this work — a posi- 

 tion from which we have no wish to rescue ourselves. As 

 regards the work itself, it is a fragmentary list, and intended 

 as a prelude to a more formal memoir. Its scientific value 

 is slight indeed, as it is merely a catalogue of names (not 

 always binomial), none of which are accompanied by any de- 

 scription and to many no i-efereuces whatever are added. We 



