of Works on Natural History. 215 



is rather dear at 1/. \ 6s. Mudie's Feathered Tribes is reason- 

 able at \l. 8s. ; but we hope that in the next edition the odious 

 plates will be omitted ; and we are sure that an author of such 

 eloquence and depth of mind can stand in need of no such 

 catchpennies. His Natural History of Birds was, perhaps, 

 at the time when it was published (Dec. 1834), the cheapest 

 work that ever issued from the press; but it has since been 

 eclipsed. Mr. Combe's Constitution of Man was published, in 

 April, for 2s. 6d. ! and, within a month's time, a large edition, 

 consisting of 2000 copies, was bought up. It has since been 

 published, enlarged, price 4s. ; and no one who has that sum 

 at command should be without that invaluable work. The 

 original edition of Wilson's American Ornithology (9 vols, 

 quarto) is dear at 251. Audubon's large Plates are sold at a 

 more reasonable rate ; but I must say that I was disappointed, 

 very much disappointed, on first beholding them. The plants 

 and flowers are far better executed than the birds ; and, alto- 

 gether, Audubon's forte, in my opinion, is in his descriptions : 

 throughout his two unrivalled volumes of Ornithological Bio- 

 graphy, hardly a single page can be pointed out which does 

 not display the rich luxuriance of the author's mind, and the 

 peculiar eloquence for which his descriptions are distinguished. 

 The chapter on the wood turkey (vol. i. p. 1 — 17) is a master- 

 piece of ornithological biography; and the description of the 

 white-headed eagle has only been rivalled in eloquence by 

 Wilson or Mudie. 



However, to return to the subject before us. The beautiful 

 plates of Gould (particularly his Birds of the Himalaya Moun- 

 tains and Birds of Europe) may be confidently recommended 

 to the ornithologist, both on account of their splendid execu- 

 tion and reasonable price; and we cordially agree with the 

 praise bestowed in No. iv. of the Analyst : " The Birds of 

 Europe by J. Gould. Nine parts of this splendid work have 

 already appeared. The author, evidently a Falco [an Aquila~\ 

 of the golden eagle kind, has taken wing nobly ; soars far 

 above all his European competitors ; and leaves even the 

 American Audubon himself at a goodly distance below." 

 (Vol. i. p. 260.) The price of this work, when complete, 

 will be 60/.; that of Audubon, 160/. ; nearly all the copies of 

 Gould's work (300) are subscribed for. The next work which 

 occurs is the Wanderings in America, by Waterton. The 

 first edition of this work (published in 1825) was a ridiculous 

 price, 1/. lis. 6d.; the price of the 2d edition, published in 

 1828, was brought within a more reasonable compass, \0s. 

 I entirely agree with an eloquent writer in the Mirror (vol. 

 xxv. p. 371.)? when he says, "With the exception, perhaps, 



