512 LETTER TO WILLIAM SWAINSON, ESQ. 



I have borrowed your book, and on looking into it I find that you 

 have introduced the names of a vast number of those who have 

 written on birds. Of all these you have made friendly of mine 

 alone unfriendly mention. 



I am, beyond doubt, the person alluded to in your complaint of 

 unjustifiabh personalities against Mr Audubon j and I am the Am- 

 ateur who went to Demerara merely to procure perfect skins, neglect- 

 ing " all which could be truly beneficial to science." My invaluable 

 prescription for the preservation of objects in natural history has 

 received a solemn anathema from your mouth. You tell the world 

 that I seem to think it a " modern discovery " but lest there should 

 be any merit due to it, you take care to introduce Sir James Smith, 

 who, you say, strongly recommends it as a preservative against 

 insects. 



By the way, I have never in all my life read one single line from 

 the pen of Sir James Smith. ' . 



Be all this as it may, the upshot is, that my unfortunate name is 

 now stuck up by you, in the " Cyclopaedia " of the celebrated Doctor 

 Lardner, without one solitary epithet which might entitle it to a nod 

 of approbation from your far-famed employer. Better not have intro- 

 duced it at all. 



When a man who is not sufficiently well armed espies a lynx slum- 

 bering in the woods, he immediately takes himself off, as quickly and 

 as quietly as possible, lest by approaching too near he may disturb 

 the animal, and thus be treated to an awful exhibition of his teeth 

 and claws. 



Though, from the place of my repose, I have more than once seen 

 you bewildered and lost in the quinary labyrinth of your fond conceit 

 of circles, and have had you completely in my power, still I have 

 never thought of springing at you ; because you did not appear to 

 show symptoms of an attempt to break in upon my retreat. 



But now, that you have not only aroused me from my slumber, 

 but have even been incautious enough to take me by the beard, 

 neither yourself nor your friends ought to be surprised if I lay a 

 vengeful and a heavy paw upon you. 



Pray, how can you venture to pronounce my personalities against 

 Mr Audubon unjustifiable ? In the same volume in which you have 



