36 



It is also to be regretted that the learned doctor does not 

 add to his qualities a little more indulgence towards other 

 naturalists, often his predecessors in the science. He has placed 

 himself, by his works, quite high enough not to be quite so bitter 

 j towards those who have not, like himself, the privilege of never 

 being mistaken. Even in speaking of Cuvier, the master of all 

 modern naturalists, he cannot refrain from this habit of 

 rude criticism, which so often becomes offensive. It is to 

 be regretted that he has not, with so many other things, 

 learned from the great man I have just mentioned to cor- 

 rect with urbanity the mistakes of others. If Cuvier was 

 obliged to rectify a traveller or a little known naturalist, 

 he would do it in such an indulgent way as to encourage him 

 to pursue his labours ; and if he had to correct a man high 

 in science, Linnseus for instance, he was always disposed to add 

 that a little inattention was well excusable in the man of 

 genius who had imposed on himself the task of describing the 

 immensity of Nature. It is evident that Dr. G-unther's greatest 

 delight is to find fault with everyone and with everything. 

 When he mentions a plate, he must almost always add one of the 

 following epithets :— " Not good." " Bad." " Very bad." And 

 in many cases he has never seen the fish in question, and the 

 drawing is due to one of those artists who, having devoted the 

 labours of their lives to zoology, have become naturalists of 

 no small merit themselves. His love for criticism is such 

 as to make him point out mistakes that have been already 

 corrected by the author himself. For example, in describing 

 my Holacanthas Formosus, he says in a note that the 

 number of the fins are entirely wrong as I have stated them, 

 when, in the Errata of the work (" Fishes of South America "), 

 in the Zoological part of my Expedition (p. 112), I myself cor- 

 rected the mistake, and re-established the real numbers. 



One of the greatest beauties of the study of Nature is gene- 

 rally considered to reside in the brotherly feeling it establishes 

 between men of all nations, of all ages, of all ranks. It is the 

 greatest boon of sufferance, and often the only consolation in 

 misfortune ; but if it was to be followedi n the spirit with which 

 some modern naturalists seem to be imbued, it would soon 

 change these kind and generous sentiments into feelings of spite, 



