of ' Falconry in the Valley of the Indus.' 3647 



sition. Kindly glance your eye, Sir, once more over the passage, at 

 page 16, and you will find that your lash has been laid upon a literal 

 quotation from Sir A. Burnes's ' Personal Narrative of a Journey to 

 Cabool.' My shoulders are broad enough to bear my own sins, but I 

 beg leave to decline carrying additional weight. 



Possibly you may, by way of being candid, contend that, wrong in 

 one point, you are right upon the whole, for the brochure does abound 

 in native and technical words. True ! — and the rationale of the mat- 

 ter is this. I write for the student, and the student rightly prefers 

 books which, like Herklot's e Qanoon-i-Islam,' and Lane's ' Manners 

 and Customs of the Modern Egyptians,' give the Oriental name for 

 every object of which they treat. I flatter myself that even a tyro, 

 after perusing my little work, could mix with English or Scindian 

 falconers without displaying offensive ignorance of the noble sport. 

 Moreover, for many years I have been employed in studying the Scin- 

 dian literature and language, which, from your allusion to the learned 

 Burritt, I suppose you rank with the Ojibbeway or Digger dialects. 

 Allow me then to refer you to a work lately published by the Court of 

 Directors of the Hon. East India Company, and entitled, ' Sindh, or 

 the Races that inhabit the Valley of the Indus.' You will there find 

 that it is the language of a country as large as England; that it is the 

 fourth (not the thousand and first) spoken in Western India ; and that 

 it is attracting the attention of many linguists. 



To conclude, Sir, pray do not determine that I have any evil inten- 

 tion of assaulting you with my tooruratee — a foot-note would have in- 

 formed you that it is a misprint in Burnes for toormatee — but kindly 

 remember, in your future critiques upon " Indianee " works, a senti- 

 ment which you will find expressed in p. 91 of my Postscript. 



And believe me, 



Your obedient Servant, 



Richard F. Burton, 



Indian Army. 



To the Editor of the ' Zoologist.' 



[We wish our correspondent, in addition to his able and playful repartee, had fa- 

 voured the readers of the ' Zoologist ' with the required information as to the real 

 names of the birds used in Indian falconry. The subjoined note from Mr. Gurney 

 will, however, supply this key to Mr. Burton's most amusing volume. One word more : 

 let our subscribers read the book, our critique, and the author's reply, and we will abide 

 by their verdict. — Ed. Zool.~] 



