CHAPTER OF CRITICISM. 
31 
be good enough to inform me from what uncivilized quarter of this terraqueous 
globe so opprobrious a name as “ Ossifrage,” for the White-tailed Erne or Sea 
Eagle ( Halicetus albicilla ), could have originated ? I certainly never wrote any 
such name, although it appears in my paper. 
I hope what I have said will be satisfactory to Mr. Morris, as I can assure 
him that I meant nothing personal by saying that the practice of giving generic 
names of Greek and specific of Latin origin, did not originate with Mr. Anyone, 
as I believe others as well as himself have laid claim to the same thing ;7at all 
events I shall not enter into any further controversy on the subject, as it cannot 
advance the cause of science, which ought to be the grand object of a scientific 
journal; but I am in hopes of having the pleasure of a personal conference on 
these interesting matters with him before Christmas. Sincerely wishing him as 
the Proprietor, and yourself as the Editor, of this Journal, every success, 
I remain, Sir, 
Your most obedient and very humble Servant, 
It. H. Sweeting. 
Ckarmoutk , Dorsetshire , 
Nov. 13, 1837. 
^Assuming that the colossi of science must, in our estimation, be right, is 
“ begging the question/’ In the instances alluded to by Mr. Sweeting we should 
unhesitatingly declare them to be wrong. But be this as it may, we see no just 
cause for adopting anything merely because it is the emanation of a great mind, 
and without employing our own intellect in the matter.—“ Ossifrage ” is no 
word of our coinage—it is nothing more than Ossifraga anglicised.—Touching 
the proprietorship of The Naturalist our correspondent may possibly be mis¬ 
taken. 
The publication of some parts of Mr. Morris’s criticism of Mr. Sweeting’s 
letter was an infringement of our usual rules; but we are sure our readers will 
bear us out in the assertion that The Naturalist is, in general, by no means 
inclined to be combative or personal. We are bound, in justice to Mr. Sweet¬ 
ing, to insert the preceding epistle, but can admit no further recrimination that 
could in any way wound the feelings of the individual against whom it is di¬ 
rected.— Ed.] 
Mr. MacGillivray’s Articles on Anatomy. 
To the Editor of the Naturalist. 
Sir, —In the second volume of The Naturalist , p. 13, there is an admirable 
article on the wings of birds, by Mr. MacGillivray, at the end of which 
the author promises to continue his papers on the same subject (that of Ana- 
