New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-08
A STUDY IN ZOOLOGY.

II is no wonder that the noble Lord Little
objects to being called a mastodon. 1t is no
wonder that he Is sensitive to epithets which
he does not understand and is suspicious that
they have bad meaning When a man has
secured a testimonial from the distinguished
Appellate Division Of the Supreme Court that
in some respects he is very much up to date
and out for business naturally he is not going
to allow "a poor college professor TO insinu-
ate that he belongs to an extinct species and
is otherwise behind the times. A man who.
when a receiver and bound to act in good faith
TO the Court, so performed his trust that his
dealings were denounced as Fraudulent by
the Appellate Division naturally expects that
every time his name is mentioned in pub
lie IL will be with disapproba tion and of course,
when he does not understand what is being
said about him he jumps to the conclusion that
IL is some scornful allusion to his past. This
is an old and familiar trick Of the mind. Many
accounts are on record Of men who found in
the rustic Of every leaf and in the rattle of
every stone an accuser. Thus conscience
does make towards and impels to defences
even in advance Of attacks.
After reading the records Of the Supreme
Court concerning Lord Little-in them he Is
called Joseph J. Little just as King Charles
was before the court which tried him known
as simple Charles Stuart, and Louis XVI I'M
der similar circumstances was called Louis
Capet-after learning about Lord Little as
receiver, we are bound to admit that we do
not think DR.. Buffers description at all fit
ting The mastodon, so far as we know. was
slow and stupid animal At least he was
not able to look after himself. and was driven
to the wall by the force Of competition. DR..
Butler never should have chosen him as n SYM
Dol of Lord Little, and he deserves to suffer for
his careless and unscentifc use of words. If
he must have a totem mark for Lord Little
there were many more appropriate to that
pobleman's sharpness and ability to survive
trials-in court and out. We should never
think of calling Lord Little q shark any more
than we should call Lord Gardiner a donkey.
Both Of those names have come by long
to have significance as applied to men which
do not belong to them at all in their own proper
relation donkey, for instance is not vain;
he does his work WELL conducts himself decent
" In public places, and never boasts of his
Historically antique" ancestors The donkey
is really an excellent beast, and not at all n
public nuisance The shark, considered merely
as fish, not as term Of opprobrum, Is an
exceedingly quick and vigorous creature. He
belongs TO one Of the oldest of families, and
while many Of his former contemporaries arc
extinct. lie still does business at the old stand
and receives corporations which come his way
with great ability, and never lets any OF the
disjecta membra-thats Latin. it's no HARM
It only means pieces-get TO any other claim
ants. II there were any Supreme Court down
In the sea he would doubtless often be told
that he defrauded the other fishes of their just
rights. But ms we said before, we are speak
ing solely of natural history. and not in the
least applying to any Of the nobility any Of the
names which. apart from the real character
istics of the animals themselves, have come 10
have an uncomplmentary derlvative meaning.
We are simply pointing out how inexcusabe
il is for q learned man like DR. Butler to use
geological terms loosely and without any real
appropriateness.
While on the subject Of the grievances Of the
nobility. we want to say that Lord Gardiner
seems to us 10 have been unfairly treated.
What II he has bad table manners and bores