188 Catalogue of Works on Natural History, 



fabricated in these dull months." Naturalists in general con- 

 sider winter rather as a nurse to the young buds formed be- 

 fore its commencement; and admit it to be, in some degree, 

 a season of rest. 



Upon the whole, though the volume before us contains little 

 that is new, and bears no competition with the simplicity, the 

 cordial vivacity of White; yet I have read it with much 

 pleasure, and return thanks to the author for entertaining me 

 on a subject over which I could willingly linger with him as 

 long as he had any thing to say. Books offer various sources 

 of pleasure as well as of profit; a volume which gives us- 

 but little original information, may still have its value as a 

 remembrancer of agreeable subjects and useful truths. I 

 would willingly see this writer's example followed by others 

 who take interest in similar pursuits, and have similar oppor- 

 tunities of observation; and though journals of this nature 

 should be multiplied ad infinitum, I should be among the 

 first to welcome and to read them. K. 



Art. II. Catalogue of Works on Natural History , lately published, 

 mth some Notice of those considered the most interesting to British 

 Naturalists, 



Britain. 



StaTk, John, F.R.S.E., Member of the Wernerian Natural History Society 

 of Edinburgh, &c. : Elements of Natural History, adapted to the present 

 state of the Science, containing the Generic Characters of nearly the whole 

 Animal Kingdom, and Descriptions of the principal Species. Edinburgh. 

 8vo, pp. 1044, with plates. 



We have delayed noticing this volume, hoping to be able to review 

 it at length ; and the same cause has prevented our hitherto recording the 

 title of the excellent work of Dr. Fleming, A History of British Animals. 

 Both works are highly spoken of by those who are considered competent 

 judges. Of Stark^s Elements a reviewer in Brewster's Journal observes, 

 " the technical arrangement is judicious, the style simple and perspicuous,] 

 and a right tone of feeHng pervades the whole work." 



The Menageries .• Quadrupeds, described and drawn from Living Subjects.! 

 Forming the commencement of the Library of Entertaining Knowledge,] 

 and pubhshed under the superintendence of the Society for the DifFusior 

 of Useful Knowledge. London. 12mo. Vol. L Part L 2s. 

 This is the first of a series of intended publications on natural histor}^, in] 

 which it is proposed to proceed in describing individual animals, " without] 

 following exclusively an arrangement depending upon what zoologists call| 



the order, the family, or the genus to which they belong We are not] 



about to write a systematic work on zoology, which shall comprise evervj 

 specimen of the animal kingdom ; but with especial reference to the plan ofj 

 difFusimg entertaining knowledge, we shall rather attempt to lead the reader 



