48 ARENARiA BALEARicA. ^February, 



his objection to the report of the discovery, in the same paper in 

 which the original account first appeared. This would have 

 been both a courteous, customary, and satisfactory mode of pro- 

 cedure. If his object was merely the detection of error and the 

 publication of truth, why was not the ' Phytologist ' used as the 

 medium for contradicting the " pseudo-discovery," as he calls it ? 

 The writer of this article will not attempt to surmise the author's 

 motives for his unusual and uncourteous proceeding; but he 

 'cannot help inferring that truth was not the sole object, and in 

 this inference he believes that all those who are best acquainted 

 with both the implicated parties will coincide with him. 



It is well known to all our readers that Mr. Watson, or any- 

 body else, might have challenged the statement about the Are- 

 naria ; and, that if a contradiction or a counter- statement had 

 been sent to the ' Phytologist,' that contradiction would have 

 been made public. But the author of the article knew that 

 there was a sting in its tail, which would have been extracted ; 

 the poison would have been squeezed out of the serpent's fangs ; 

 therefore another medium was selected. We make no complaint 

 about this ; for the author of the ' Cybele ' is the very last man 

 in England whose aid is desirable in connection with the ' Phy- 

 tologist.' Rather, he is the only botanist known whose room 

 is better than his company. But for all this, he is welcome to 

 state a fact or correct an error in our pages. He may say in 

 justification that he knew the Editor of the said periodical would 

 not give publicity to his article because it was condemnatory of 

 his editorial vigilance ; but this is a mere pretence, for the Editor 

 has entered articles that were far from being complimentary 

 to himself. But it is now time to let Mr. W. tell his own story, 

 in his own elegant diction ; let the tail go with the hide, the bee's 

 bottom, sting and allj the readers of this journal shall have 

 served up for their delectation an effusion which is just about as 

 remarkable for its offensive personality as it is for the hobbling 

 style of its composition. 



" Arenaria BALEARICA not Native in Scotland. — So much mischief 

 may be done by would-be-thouglit discoverers sending inaccurate reports to 

 editors, who are themselves not duly prepared by the geographico-botanical 

 knowledge requisite for distinguishing between the proba])le and the impro- 

 bable in local botany, that I can feel no apology needful to my own readers 

 for here troubling them with a second warning instance ; one fortunately 



