32 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



To the Editor of the Victorian Naturalist. 



Sir, — I notice, -with much regret, your criticisms on some papers of mine- 

 in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales in which 

 I described the eggs of certain Austrahan birds. If you had referred to the 

 papers in question, I feel certain you would never have allowed such unfair 

 strictures to appear in your magazine. Unlike Mr. Campbell I am not 

 writing a general " Oology of Australian Birds," nor do I remember ever to 

 have claimed to have been the first to describe the egg of any particular 

 species, but, in a humble way, I occasionally offer naturalists at home and in 

 the colonies a few remarks on such as I consider worthy of their attention. 

 I therefore fail to see on what grounds your attack has been made. If 

 you will be good enough to read the heading of the paper in question, a 

 copy of which is enclosed, you will observe that I submit descriptions of 

 such (Eggs) " as are rare, or, in my own opinion, have been imperfectly or 

 incorrectly described ;" and if you had read my previous notes in the 

 Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales you would have 

 seen that I re-described P. violaceus and several others, to some of which 

 you refer, in the P. Z. S., 1875, p. 581, which I had also fully described 

 previously. I feel convinced that any unbiassed person reading the title of 

 my papers in question will fail to see any just reason for your strictures, . 

 which are only too liable to breed ill-feeling among the members of the 

 Club, and cause useless discussions. Had I felt obliged " to notice the icork 

 done by 3Ir. A. J. Campbell in the matter of Australian Oology," I should 

 also have been obliged to notice the numerous instances in which he 

 describes the eggs of certain species as " not previously described,'" although 

 a little research into such well-known works as the P. Z. S., Lond., the 

 " Ibis," or the publications of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 

 would, I trust, have prevented him being guilty of the very charges you 

 have thought proper to make against me. To use your own words, "li is 

 surely the business of anyone xoho is working up the continental forms of any 

 group to acquaint himself, not merely tuith the records already made in his 

 oivn colony, but also with those made by ivorkers in the sister colonies," and 

 " either " Mr. Campbell " has culpably neglected to do this, or there is a gross 

 iinfairness in his disregard of observations which must in some " (I might say 

 in most) " cases take precedence of his oxon." Moreover, I know for a fact that 

 Mr. Campbell was furnished with a list showing the dates of the descriptions 

 (in 1874-5) of several of the very species of which you complain ; but, apart 

 from this, I deny that Mr. Campbell has any right at all to complain. I 

 have a perfect right to describe or re-describe the eggs of any species if I 

 think I can add to our knowledge of that species by so doing, whether they 

 have been described before or not. I feel I have taken up much more of your 

 space than this paltry subject deserves, but, nevertheless, I must request- 

 you to print this reply in extenso. 



I am, sir, yours truly, 



Sydney, 13th May, 1887. ED. P. EAMSAY. 



EXCHANGE. 



Shells. — Victorian recent or fossil shells desired in exchange 

 for South Austrahan, etc. Correspondence invited. Wm- 

 Thompson Bednall, Registry Office, Adelaide. 



