228 Mr. J. H. Gurney on the [Ibis, 



of the parts and their ])urpose is more easily understood than 

 by mere description. 



Dissentients from the Scenting Theory. — I am not sanguine 

 enough to suppose that the facts and opinions brought 

 together in this short paper will settle the scent question, 

 but I hope they may advance it a step or two ; with this in 

 view it will be convenient to begin by enumerating some of 

 those who have dissented from the scent theory in the past 

 on various grounds, and w^hose considered opinions are by 

 no means to be at once rejected. 



The names of naturalists opposed to the scent theory are 

 as follows : — First stands that of the bird-painter, John 

 James Audubon, who had the support of his friend Bachman, 

 and later (in 1836) the complete concurrence of William 

 Swainson. Between Audubon and a clever but eccentric 

 Englishman, Charles Waterton, a heated controversy on 

 this vexed question presently sprang up, but the arguments 

 advanced with much warmth are not very convincing, and 

 in reading them one is inclined to smile at the jealousy of 

 the disputants and their resort to personalities *. 



The Dissentients. 

 In 1829 Audubon was opposed to the scent theory.^ 

 ,, 1837 Macgillivray (with reservation).^ 

 „ 1875 H. E. Dresser do.=^ 



„ 1884 Elliott Coues.4 

 „ 1893 Lord Lilford.^ 



1 Jameson's Journal, No. iii., and the ' Ornithological Biography ' 

 . (ii. p. 33). 



- ' History of British Birds ' (i. pp. 51, 507). 

 3 ' The Birds of Europe ' (iv. p. 573). 



* ' North American Birds,' p. 178, and * Field and General Orni- 

 thology,' p. 263. 



" ' The Birds of Northamptonshire,' p. 356. 



* The major part of this literary duel was carried on in Loudon's 

 ' Magazine of Natural History ' for 1833 and 1834. See vol. iii. p. 449 ; 

 vol. V. p. i^33 ; vol. vi. pp. 83, 163 ; and vol. vii. pp. 66, 164, 276. 

 An amusing article in Waterton's ' Essays on Natural History ' entitled 

 " The Vulture's Nose " will repay reading, as well as two other papers 

 on the same subject. 



