Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-11-04
From Harper's Magazine.
ANECDOTE OF RUCKLAND,
The Distinguished fsenlnyisf.


The small town of Landeck, in the
forarlberg, is surrounded by mountains
which take exceedingly picturesque forms
from their peculiar geological structure.
| cannot stop in my tale to enter into any
details regarding the geology Of the
country; but remember once talk
ing TO Buckland about it, when me, him
with Professor Sedgwick at the English
Cambridge, some two or three and -twen-
ty years ago. Poor BuckIand has,
hear, since fallen into indifferent health;
but at the period speak of he was full
of life and energy, and one the most en-
tertaining men | ever met. Our acquaint-
ance was of no long duration. for | was
hurrying through that part of the world
with great rapidity, and had hardly time
to accomplish all that proposed. | saw
great deal OF him, however,anG heard a
great deal Of him then, and once after
ward; and there was a certain sort of en-.
thusiastic simplicity about him, not un.
common in men of science, which made
him the subject of many good stories.
whether true or false | will not pretend
to say. His fondness for everything
connected with the subject of Natural
history amounted TO a complete passion;
and he was not at all scrupulous, they
said, as to whom it was exercised upon.
| heard laughable anecdote illustrative
of tins propensity There had been.
shortly before, great meeting at Oxford
of scientific men, and of those fashiona-
BILE hangers on upon the skirts of science,
who, feeling themselves but so many un.
its in the mass of the beau monde, seek
10 gain little intrinsic brilia1cy from
stars and comets, strata, atoms and ma
chinery. Buckland asked good num-
Der OF the most distinguished of all class
es to dine with him on one of the days
Of this scientific fair. During the morn
ing he delivered lecture in his lecture
room before all his friends upon Com
parative Anatomy-showed the relation
between existing and extinct species of
animaIs-exhibited several very perfect
specimens of fossil saurlans-dissected Il
very fine alligator sent to him from the
Mississippi-washed his hands-walk-
ed his friends about Oxford, and went
home to dinner. His house and all his
establishment were in good style and
taste. His guests congregated; the din,
ner table looked splendid, with glass, chi
ma, and plate, and the meal commenced
with excellent soup.
"How do you like the soup!" asked
the Doctor, after having finished his own
plate, addressing famous gournaad of
the dav.
..Very good. indeed, ans wered the 9TH
er; "Turtle, is it not! l only ask be-
cause | do not find any green far"
The Doctor shook his head.
81 think it has somewhat of musky
taste," said another; "but not unpleasant,
but peculiar" .......
"All alligators have" replied Buck
land. "The Cayman peculiarly So
The fellow whom dissected this morn
ing. and whom you have just been eat
ing"
There was a general rout of the whole
guests. Every one turned pale. Half a
dozen started up from the table. Two
or three ran out of the room and vomited;
and only those who had stout stomachs
remained to the close of an excellent en-
tertainment.
"See what imagination is" said Buck
land. ''If had told them il was turtle,
or terrapin, or bird soup-salt wa
ter amphilia or fresh, or the gluten of a
fish from the NAV of sea- bird, they
would have pronounced it excellent, and
their digestion been none the worse
Such is prejudice.
"but was it really an alligatorE asked
lady.
"As good calTs head as ever wore
coronet," answ wered Buckland. ~