THE CAYMAN. 



59 



his account of this reptile, was either totally 

 unacquainted with its habits and economy, or 

 that he wilfully perverted them, and made out 

 the cayman to be a " slow-paced and even timid 

 animal," in order to be revenged on me, who 

 had described it as swift, and one of extra- 

 ordinary ferocity : for, be it known, that in 

 1837, I found myself under the necessity of 

 writing to Swainson a very pungent ornitho- 

 logical letter, which was printed. He never 

 answered this letter, and I thought that I had 

 done with him altogether, till in 1839, whilst I 

 was in Italy, out came Lardner's volume on 

 Fishes, containing the sweeping extract which 

 I have transcribed at the head of this paper. 

 Swainson was then about to take his final de- 

 parture to New Zealand. Steam will soon 

 convey to him a copy of this. I call upon him 

 to contradict the statements which it contains, 

 — or to acknowledge the truth and the pro- 

 priety of them. 



