Bitot*. 751 



Remarks on Air. Watertoii's Essay on the Oil-gland. 

 By the Hev. C. A. Bury. 



On the receipt of ' The Zoologist' for this month, (September,) I 

 eagerly turned to the table of contents on the fly-leaf, and was much 

 gratified to read ' Notice of Waterton's Essays, second series.' I had 

 heard that the promised volume was out, but had not as yet been able 

 to procure it ; I seized my paper-cutter with a degree of avidity, sus- 

 pending even the operations of the breakfast table, so greedy was I to 

 ascertain what pleasure and instruction I was likely to receive from a 

 second series of Essays from the pen that so pleased and instructed 

 me in the first. 



I perused your opening remarks with full acquiescence ; I admired 

 the generosity of the author in presenting his volume to Mrs. Loudon; 

 I read your various quotations with much interest ; when lo ! on 

 reaching the last passage selected from the autobiography, I stumbled 

 on my own name. I felt flattered that what 1 had contributed to 

 your pages should have attracted the attention, and received the 

 approbation of so distinguished a naturalist. But, if I had been 

 startled at the sight of my own name previously, how was my surprise 

 increased when, on turning the next leaf, I found (Zool. 674) an entire 

 Essay on " The Windhover Hawk, and the Oil-gland," based on the 

 contribution to ' The Zoologist' alluded to above. So unexpected 

 was the compliment that I confess it cost me my breakfast. 



The epithets Mr. Waterton has been pleased to apply to me and 

 my observations are indeed sufficiently flattering ; and if he can feel 

 himself under obligation because I have mentioned his name with 

 respect — and my pen would have belied my feelings had it written 

 the name of Waterton other than respectfully — how much more deeply 

 indebted should I feel for the honour he has done me in treating with 

 so much courtesy the name and writings of an obscure individual. I, 

 therefore, tender my best thanks to Mr. Waterton ; and beg to assure 

 him that, if, as it so chances, I am in " dispute" with him, that dispute 

 shall not be " hot." I am under no temptation to wound his feelings 

 by so much as a hasty expression, or a disrespectful word : and in 

 venturing to differ from a much greater proficient in ornithological 

 science than I either am, or am likely to become, I am only faithfully 

 following the convictions of my own mind ; and, in recording those 

 convictions, my sole object is to elicit the truth on an interesting, if 

 not a very important topic. If I shall chance to induce Mr. Water- 

 ton to resume his pen, and adorn the pages of ' The Zoologist' with 



