535 



REVIEWS, 



Art. I. Catalogue of Works on Natural History, lately publishedj 

 ivith some Notice of those considered the most interesting to British 

 Naturalists. 



GouLl), John, A.L.S. : The Birds of Europe : dedicated, by 

 permission, to the President and Council of the Zoological 

 Society of London. Part I. 20 plates ; imperial folio. 

 21. 105. plain; 31, 3s. coloured. 



Mr. Gould already ranks high, and most deservedly so, 

 with the public, as well as among ornithologists, for his splen- 

 did Illustratio7is of the Birds from the Himalaya Mountains, 

 which work was completed at the beginning of the present 

 year, in a manner equally creditable to himself and satisfac- 

 tory to his numerous patrons. Almost all the copies of this 

 beautiful work that were printed were subscribed for. 



The first part of his new work, now before us, is, like the 

 former one, admirably executed, and well calculated to add 

 materially, and we hope also substantially, to his future repu- 

 tation. With a zeal and perseverance which few obstacles 

 can retard, the author unites within his own resources all the 

 advantages that indefatigable industry and a high order of 

 pictorial talent can supply. 



Next to the birds of our own country, those of the Euro- 

 pean continent are most worthy the study and regard of every 

 British ornithologist; since, with the exception of occasional 

 visits, " few and far between," by stragglers from America, 

 most of the additions to our British catalogue are furnished 

 from the other countries of Europe, more than one third of 

 the birds of which have never yet been taken on our island. 



But it has frequently been matter of remark, and even of 

 censure, that the productions of distant countries have received 

 a much larger share of attention than those objects by which 

 we are more immediately surrounded ; and it is certainly 

 true, that, while numerous and costly illustrations have made 

 us acquainted with the ornithology of all the other parts of 

 the world, the birds of Europe, in which we are, or ought to 

 be, most interested, have remained, by comparison at least, 

 neglected, unfigured, and in proportion unknown. 



We are not aware of any work which includes figures of 



M M 4 



