470 
Mr. R. I. Pocock on Ebalia nux. 
In the first place Canon Norman denies that his words of 
approbation for the manner in which his MS. name was 
treated by Messrs. Marion and Milne-Edwards can be taken 
as reflecting discredit upon me — thereby laying me open to 
the charge of entering upon a controversy without provoca- 
tion, and of taking offence where none was intended. 
In reply to this I may say that if I was alone in my opinion 
as to this allegation of discourtesy I should be compelled, in 
the face of Canon Norman’s denial, to suspend judgment on 
the point. But since precisely the same interpretation was 
independently put upon the sentence referred to by my friend 
who first drew my attention to the publication of Mr. Bourne’s 
paper, I cannot do otherwise than retain the opinion that I 
first formed. This fact, moreover — namely the circumstance 
that exactly the same significance was independently attached 
to Canon Norman’s words by an individual absolutely uncon- 
cerned in the matter — goes far to destroy any semblance of 
truth there might be in the suggestion that the idea of an 
accusation of discourtesy is merely a product of my guilty 
conscience, a suggestion which would perhaps have seemed 
plausible enough if the notion had emanated solely from 
myself. But if further refutation of this were needed, I 
might add that I am quite unable to see how my conscience 
can have influenced me in the matter, for, as I carefully 
pointed out in my last letter, my mode of employing the 
nomen nudum — Ebalia nux — was strictly in accordance with 
my notions of the dictates of courtesy and common sense ; 
and consequently I had no idea that Canon Norman could 
possibly find grounds on that score for complaining of ill- 
treatment at my hands. In short, I do not see how I can 
have no idea of a thing and yet be conscience-stricken with 
regard to it. 
With regard to Canon Norman’s assertion that he took 
particular pains that his words should not bear the construc- 
tion that was to my knowledge independently put upon them 
on two occasions, I think the less said the better. I merely 
refer to the circumstance now with the object of bringing it 
before the notice of those who are interested in collecting cases 
of the inadequacy of language to express thought. 
In the second place, in connexion with the letter that I 
wrote to him, I can assure Canon Norman that I never 
received an answer to it. The postcard that he recollects 
sending to me I too remember well ; but it related to a species 
of My sis from the Firth of Clyde, and not to Ebalia nux. 
In the third place, Canon Norman wishes to know which 
specimens of Ebalia nux I chose for description. I am sorry 
