1847.] Reply to the Minute of Capt. Munro. 1169 



In the first place, I know nothing of any remuneration that was ever 

 promised me for executing the task that was assigned to me ; the sum of 

 Co.'s Rs. 3,200 which I have since received from the Society, was for arrears 

 of an additional hundred per month of salary, withheld until I had completed 

 the said letter-press, as some inducement for me to undertake a labour for 

 which it was believed I had no particular liking. It was well known that I 

 had strenuously and consistently opposed, from the first, and considerably to 

 my own disadvantage, any outlay of money upon the publication of what I have 

 always regarded and repeatedly averred to be a series of drawings possessing 

 not the slightest scientific value ; but on this subject I need merely refer to 

 my letter published in the Society's ' Proceedings' for October 1845, and 

 here repeat my regret (for which I have now a further pecuniary reason) 

 that, as the recognised zoological officer of the Society, it was not deemed 

 necessary to consult me in a single instance about even the selection of the 

 drawings for publication, whence some of the very worst are amongst those 

 upon which the expense of lithography has been incurred, the worst alike 

 for execution, for representing the most familiarly known European species, 

 and in several instances different drawings representing the same species ! 

 I conceive that I should have been greatly remiss in my duty to the Society 

 if I had not uniformly endeavoured to oppose so wasteful an expenditure of 

 money, as the enormous outlay upon these " trashy" drawings is now 

 admitted, on all hands, to have been : but, gentlemen, I wish it to be recorded, 

 that instead of having benefited to the extent of Co.'s Rs. 3,200 for preparing 

 the letter-press to accompany the publication of those drawings, as would 

 be inferred from perusal of Capt. Munro's minute, the small increase of pay 

 that had been allowed me for nearly three years previously was withdrawn, 

 not in consequence of any dissatisfaction felt towards myself, but because 

 of the impoverishment of the Society resulting from the outlay of which I 

 was so long the sole opponent, as I am now the only personal sufferer from the 

 retrenchment ! 



Capt. Munro expected that I should have " zealously undertaken an essay 

 on the animals of Afghanistan and neighbouring countries" — " considering 

 a large and distinct remuneration" was expected. Of the latter I need say no 

 more : and as regards the former, Capt. M. happened to be unaware that I had 

 such an essay in a forward state of preparation, the ornithological portion of 

 which had long since been sent in ; but that it had been suggested by the Senior 

 Secretary of the Society that nothing of the kind was required, and that it 

 would be sufficient if I .simply identified the species, as far as was practicable.* 



* This suggestion was only made in March, 1847, when 1 found the Society unani- 

 mous in their resolution not to publish the plates.— W. B. O'S., Sen. Secy. 



7 m 2 



