Natural Histoi-y in London, 293 



which was endeavoured to be made a great deal of, and which is in every 

 respect as unsound. Mr. Sabine, it seems, gives his superintendence gra- 

 tuitously. The only consequence we ever knew to result from that species 

 of service was, that it made those who received it the thralls of those who 

 gave it ; that it destroyed all responsibility in the servant, and all claim to 

 supervision in the master. If the Society engage an active respectable man 

 to do their business — which they may do for one hundred and fifty, or two 

 hundred pounds a year, — they will have one whom a sense of interest will 

 render attentive and obedient, whom they may correct when he goes wrong, 

 and discharge if he will not be corrected. At present they save this mighty 

 sum by employing a man who will attend to his honorary duties when he 

 likes, and how he likes ; whose condijct, whether right or wrong, they dare 

 not challenge ; and of whose disservice they will soon find it next to impos- 

 sible to rid themselves. There is indeed a remedy to this species of folly, 

 which never fails of effect, — the subscribers can withdraw. And they will 

 do so. The Medico-Botanical, the Horticultural, the Zoological, will pro- 

 bably continue to exhibit their princes, their pines, and their parrots, for 

 some time longer ; but the impulse which put their machinery in motion has 

 ceased, and the friction is every hour increasing. In a year or two more 

 they may expect to encounter the fate to which folly and favouritism, when 

 not supported by statute, are ever subjected, and to add to the long list of 

 useful projects which wisdom has begun and mismanagement ended. (Spec- 

 tator, April 3.) 



To the above very judicious observations, we shall only add, that nothing 

 can show the consummate vanity of Mr. Sabine more than the fact of his 

 continuing to obtrude his services both on the Zoological Society, and to a 

 certain extent on the Horticultural ; certain parts and things in the Chis- 

 wick Garden being still under his care. Mr. Sabine's friends and enemies, 

 we believe, alike wish him to retire altogether from both these Societies, 

 and the former have done every thing short of telling him so to his face. If 

 Mr. Sabine really wishes well to these Societies, he ought to sacrifice his " 

 own feelings to public opinion, and back out of them, as the phrase is, with 

 all possible speed. He may rely upon this, that his espionnage system 

 (monstrous, as Mr. Lindley well termed it), as given in evidence to the 

 Committee of the Horticultural Society, published in part in the last num- 

 ber (xxv.) of the Gardener's Magaziney has rendered his name loathsome, 

 not merely to every gardener or naturalist, but to every man with the 

 feelings of an Englishman, to every man, in short, of common honour and 

 honesty. It is right that such practices should be exposed, in order that 

 they may excite universal execration, and thus tend to prevent their re- 

 currence. — Cond. 



Contributions to the M.enagery. The taste for zoological science has so 

 much extended in the country within the last few years, that there is every 

 reason to hope that we shall very shortly have no cause to complain 

 of inferiority to our neighbours in this department of natural history. That 

 the establishment of the Zoological Society has very much contributed to 

 increase and diffuse this taste, no one can doubt; and, considering the 

 short time that Society has been established, it is astonishing what advances 

 have been made both in the formation of a museum and menagery. The 

 latter contains specimens of the most valuable kind, but is still very deficient 

 in examples from our British Fauna. Notwithstanding the numerous parks 

 in this country, no one has presented them with a pair of deer ; and in 

 most of the smaller animals indigenous to this country they are entirely 

 wanting. If the friends of natural history would contribute their efforts to 

 this object, the deficiency would soon be supplied. Those noblemen and 

 gentlemen interested in the institution would confer a great benefit upon 

 it, if they would direct their keepers to send specimens of all kinds of ver- 

 min (as they are called) and birds, alive, to Bruton Street. I would parti- 



