Elje |5orse not OriginuUn fm$orUi into America 

 front tl|c fet 



To the Editors of the Charleston Mercury : 



Messrs. Editors: — Under the above head you 

 published, a short time since, a notice of the fossil re- 

 mains discovered in the marl-beds of Ashley River, 

 and included a short extract from a paper written by 

 the distinguished anatomist, Professor Leidy of Phil- 

 adelphia. 



Your notice seems to have attracted general atten- 

 tion, but I regret to find by the letter you kindly 

 sent me, that one of your correspondents is afraid the 

 article in question may cause some misapprehension 

 of the views of Professor Liedy in regard to the ori- 

 gin of the recent or existing species of the horse in 

 North America. I have read with care the letter of 

 your Philadelphia correspondent, and for reasons that 

 will hereafter appear, I must, beg permission to re- 

 ply to it. 



Why should he infer from your article on the fos- 

 sil remains of the horse, or from the extract from 

 Professor Leidy's paper, that allusion was made to 

 the recent horse? The opinion of Professor Leidy in 

 regard to the origin of our domestic horse, is not al- 

 luded to; your remarks are confined to the fossil re- 

 mains of this animal, and not a word is said about 

 recent species, or those now in existence, 



The caption of the article must have excited the 

 apprehension expressed by the writer, and as this 

 heading may have been suggested by my note to you, 

 inclosing the extract, I feel myself responsible for it. 



To avoid all misapprehension of the views of a 

 hig hly esteemed friend, and of my own also, I have 



