1868.] ON THE CETACEANS OF THE GREENLAND SEAS. 53.'i 



" One of these preparations is so exactly like one of Dr. Bower- 

 bank's figures, that it seems certain they must have represented 

 contiguous slices, merely separated from each other by the knife in 

 cutting them. 



" Thus it will be seen that the sponge which I am accused of 

 'describing without permission' was described and figured in 1862, 

 now six years ago, and had been the subject of discussion by Dr. 

 Oscar Schmidt and others in scientific papers — moreover that, instead 

 of ' surreptitiously getting sight of it,' it was not in any way sought 

 out by me, but that the specimen which I examined was brought to 

 me by its owner, with a view to the elucidation of a subject in which 

 we had a common scientific interest. It is shown also that the sponge 

 which I described was part of the original specimen, which Dr. 

 Bowerbank in one place denies ; while it was not surreptitiously got 

 sight of, which, without apparently noticing the contradictory nature 

 of the charge, he asserts in another. 



" I should be the last person to object to the utmost possible 

 freedom of discussion ; but, nevertheless, I cannot but feel that it 

 should be conducted with decorum and with attention to the feelings 

 and habits of society, and, at all events, with the most careful 

 attention to accuracy of statement. I know well that Dr. Bower- 

 bank is in the habit of using very strong language ; but I do not 

 consider it creditable to the scientific character of the Zoological 

 Society that such an attack on one of the oldest and certainly not 

 the least industrious of its scientific Members should have been 

 allowed to appear in its ' Proceedings,' without first informing him 

 of it in order that he might be allowed to show, as 1 have now done, 

 that the charge is without the shadow of a foundation. I think, 

 too, that such a paper should, at all events, be brought under the 

 special consideration of the Publication Committee before printing; 

 and I am certain that in such cases the authors would be requested, 

 in consideration of the dignity of science, to reconsider many of their 

 statements. Societies very properly decline responsibility for the 

 facts or reasonings of the papers they publish ; but the tone and 

 temper of the communications is certainly within their province to 



decide on. ,.^ j o- 



" I am, my dear Sir, 



" Yours sincerely, 



"P. L. Sclater, Fsq." "John Edward Gray." 



The following papers were read :■ — 



1. Notes oil tlie History and Geographical Relations of the 

 Cetacea frequenting Davis Strait and Baffin's Bay. 

 By Robert Brown, F.R.G.S. 



[ConnHiinicated by Dr. James Murie.] 



I conclude these papers on the Mammalia of Greenland and ad- 

 joining seas by a few notes on the order more intimately associated 

 Proc. Zool. Soc— 1868, No. XXXV. 



