1S74.J DE. FINSCH'S 'DIE PAPAGEIEN.' 277 



imputation of " pooh-poohing contemptuously the recorded experience of men like Jerdon and 

 Blyth " (t. c. p. 2) ■? With a due feeling of awe, and under correction, I venture to surmise 

 that, after all, the huge flock noticed by Mr. Hume when he last "went up the minars of the 

 Juma," etc., was one of P. torquatus. 



" Let us now turn to (4) torquatus " [Pakeornis torquatus (Boddaert)], " and first hear what 

 our learned Dr. has to say" (t. c. p. 13); and Mr. Hume transcribes the passage wherein 

 Dr. Finsch endeavours to substantiate his theory that the sexes in the adult birds wear a similar 

 dress. Dr. Finsch's reasoning is not convincing ; but the argument is conducted with perfect 

 propriety, and his data, such as they are, placed fully before the reader. But Mr. Hume, by 

 means of a mistranslation of a German word used by Dr. Finsch, tries to fasten on him the 

 charge of speaking slightingly of Indian naturalists. " Dieser betrifft mimlich die angeblich 

 griine Fiirbung des ? , wie sie von Blyth, Layard und Jerdon angegeben wird " (Papag. ii. p. 25). 

 This sentence has been separately submitted to two German gentlemen, and, without mentioning Ibis, 1874, 

 any reasons, they were asked to translate it. One is a gentleman of the highest scientific ^' "^^' 

 distinction, the other an independent gentleman of education, both understanding, writiuf, 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 further 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 argument, 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 ofiensive 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 '■'■ jivetences" created in the superficial reader a prejudice 

 against Dr. Finsch, proceeds, with many italicized words and outbursts of infallibiUty, 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 of the young ibis, 1374 

 (Str. Feath. i. p. 339) is then quoted, the reference and date 1873 being omitted and the P- '^'^^• 

 impression left on the reader's mind that something had been said of the young when Dr. Finsch 

 wrote, and that somehow or other he ought to have known it. 



Dr. Finsch, for his account of Palceornis cyanocej^halus (Linn.), is next passed under the 



* As a matter of fact I believe there were no published remarks ou the subject by Captain Huttou extant when 

 Dr. Finsch wrote, much less by a " dozen other Indian naturalists." 



2o 



