212 Suggestion for the Publication of 



nications on this subject must be free of postage, and directed 

 to be left at No. 8., Bow Churchyard. — W. H. White. Old 

 Kent Road, Dec. 2. 1835. 



Art. XIII. Hints of Improvements. 



Proposals for the Publication of a Work on the Nests of 

 British Birds. — It appears to me astonishing, considering 

 the great interest which is now taken in ornithology, and the 

 number of books which have been written on the subject, 

 that so little attention should have been paid to the nests of 

 birds. There is no complete ornithological work of any 

 British author, with which I am acquainted, that includes 

 representations of the nests of each of the species. In a work 

 by James Bolton, called Harmonia Buralis ; or, an Essay 

 towards a Natural History of British Song Birds, figures of 

 the nests of each species are given ; but most of them are in a 

 very inferior style, as might be expected from a work published 

 in J 794. For instance, plate 14-., containing the nest of the 

 green grosbeak (Cbccothraustes Chloris), is so totally destitute 

 of resemblance to the nest of any small bird I know, that it 

 would be impossible to recognise it. It looks more like the 

 front of the nest of the ivy wren (Anorthura Troglodytes) 

 than anything else. The nest and eggs of the corn bunting 

 (Emberiza ikHliaria) are in better taste; and the nests of the 

 yellow bunting, the reed bunting, and the redpoll linnet 

 (plates 18. 20. 22.) are beautifully figured. But this work 

 comprises only forty species, while there are about 300 British 

 birds. Such plates as those of Selby might very advan- 

 tageously have contained a figure of the nest and egg of each 

 species ; and if this had been done, instead of cramming 

 birds of different species, genera, and even families, into one 

 plate, as is done in that work, the value would have been 

 greatly enhanced, instead of, as at present, impaired. Au- 

 dubon has happily avoided the unfortunate practice of repre- 

 senting birds of different species in the same plate; but he has 

 very seldom given the nests of the birds. That he could 

 have accomplished this, is evident from the very superior 

 style in which those which he has figured are executed : for 

 instance, that of the marsh wren. 



Till lately, a work on eggs was much wanted ; but now 

 that Mr. Hewitson is so ably supplying that deficiency, in his 

 work on British Oology *, I am anxious that some good orni- 



* It is to be wished that Mr. Hewitson had brought out his work ar- 

 ranged according to Selby or Teraminck, instead of the irregular and ill- 

 concocted plan he has at present adopted. I am aware that it will be 



