AND LOWER EGYPT. l6^ 



have truth upon my side. I had prepared my an- 

 swer, but citizen Lamethrie, to whom I proposed 

 the insertion of it in the Journal de Physique, as 

 composing a sequel to my observations, remarked 

 to me, that having refused to publish M. Ber- 

 thout's critique, it would have had an awkward 

 appearance to let my reply appear in it. I give it 

 in this place ; and as I employ, in disculpation of 

 my pretended mistakes, only the words and the 

 quotations of M. Van-Berchem himself, I begin 

 with transcribing his letter. This little discussion, 

 moreover, will not be wholly useless; it will fur- 

 nish new elucidations on the natural history of the 

 gerboise, at the same time that it will shew how 

 far criticism, when it lays stress on minutiae) runs 

 the risk of misleading. 



Letter on the true nomenclature of the gerboise ; by 

 il/. Berlhout-van-Berchem the younger, perpetual 

 Secretary to the Society of Physics, at Lausanne, 



" In a work on quadrupeds which I have just 

 •' published, will be found a detailed history of the 

 " gerboise. I satisfy myself at present with giving 

 " the true nomenclature of that animal, which 

 u proves that the alagtaga and the gcrboa are two 

 *' different species, that M. Sonnini lias committed 

 " an error in classing them together (Journal de 



M 3 " Physique, 



