428 Observations on the [May, 



the Museum. I beg not to be misunderstood as assuming any merit for 

 these things \ it was my duty to do them, and it is to shew I did not 

 neglect my duty, that I venture to mention them. 



With regard to catalogues, it was. no use to prepare one of the 

 Invertebrata till a collection could be made worthy of a catalogue 

 being prepared ; nor of the Vertebrata, which could not be displayed. 

 But of the former the shells were all fixed upon ebony boards, and label- 

 led with their names and locality — a measure which obviated the 

 necessity for a catalogue, and rendered the making one an easy matter 

 while of the latter, I both labelled and made a catalogue of the 

 osteological specimens, collecting, at no little pains, all the information 

 that could be procured about them, and the names of the donors, from 

 the Researches and Records of the Society. The Mammalia and Birds 

 were all labelled in a similar manner, and a catalogue prepared of a 

 portion of the former, and more than 200 of the latter. These cata- 

 logues I shall be happy to send to the Society ; the two first immediately, 

 if so required, though I had rather delay doing so till I can copy out 

 and finish the third. 



I have now given a fair exposition of my conduct, and furnished any 

 person who may be inclined to comment upon it with ample materials. 

 I hope I have done it in a proper spirit, and avoided any needless 

 asperity of remark : it has been my aim to do so, to defend myself, to 

 offend none ; but if I have unfortunately been too harsh, I am sorry for 

 it, and hope some allowance will be made for the feelings of a man who 

 knows that so far from deserving censure for having neglected his duty 

 as Curator of the Museum, he is fully entitled to the thanks the Society 

 accorded him when his services were fresh before them ; and that but 

 for his exertions there would not at this moment have been a Museum 

 of Natural History at all. 



I have only further to remark, that placed in a public situation as 

 a servant of the Society, I had reason to expect my proceedings would 

 be narrowly watched ; and I have no objection to the criticism which 

 by accepting the situation I courted. But I have a right to demand 

 that the criticism should be fair ; and that I should not be censured for 

 the blunders or neglect, (if such there were) of others. I pretend to 

 no profound knowledge of Natural History — a science in which, (as I j 

 have pursued it as an amusement, and a relaxation from the more seri- j 

 ous, and to me more important, study of my profession) I am pro- | 

 bably inferior to Dr. Jameson and many others in the country ; but I I 

 yield not to him, nor to any one else, in the faithful performance of any j 

 duty I venture to undertake. 



