Swainson' s Birds of Western Africa, 325 



the one under notice, if, from an acquaintance with any part 

 of the series, they have derived amusement or instruction. 



Mr. Swainson has executed his task in a manner that indi- 

 cates no superficial acquaintance with the subject of his 

 treatise, whilst he possesses the power of communicating his 

 information in a manner that cannot be otherwise than 

 attractive, even to those who may not yet have advanced one 

 foot upon the threshold of scientific enquiry. He tells us 

 that it has been his object not only to make the volume 

 popular, but of some permanent value and scientific autho- 

 rity ; and a glance at the numerous and beautiful delineations 

 which adorn the work, will amply testify that his attempt has 

 not been a failure. The elegant forms, and rich hues, exhi- 

 bited by many of the birds here figured, owe nothing to the 

 touch of imagination. The drawings have all been taken from 

 original specimens ; and, though but few of the species can be 

 said to be entirely new, yet many of them have been hitherto 

 but slightly known, or imperfectly described. In his intro- 

 ductory remarks, Mr. Swainson has touched upon that most 

 intensely interesting field for philosophical investigation, the 

 geographical distribution of species : first, with reference to 

 the whole globe ; and, secondly, with regard to that portion of 

 it more immediately connected with the subject of his volume ; 

 and, though his views upon this subject in some degree involve 

 the consideration of those peculiar laws which are thought by 

 him to obtain throughout the whole animate world, and to 

 the demonstration of which his energies have been so unceas- 

 ingly directed; yet their discussion is by no means forced 

 upon the reader's attention to a greater extent than is neces- 

 sary, simply to explain the author's principle of arrangement. 



At p. 156. we have a description and plate of the crim- 

 son nut-cracker (Loxia ostrina Vieil., Pyrenestes sanguineus 

 Swain.), both of which we should like to place before our 

 readers, could we only transfer to our pages the result of 

 Mr. Swainson's pencil as readily as we now do that of his 

 pen : — 



" It may safely be affirmed that this extraordinary bird has the thickest 

 and most massive bill in the feathered creation. Both mandibles, indeed, 

 are of an enormous size; but, contrary to what we find in the generality 

 of birds, the under one is even still more powerful than the upper. What 

 are the nuts or seeds, the breaking of which requires such an amazing 

 strength of bill, is perfectly unknown ; but they must be of a stone-like 

 hardness. This is proved by another circumstance, which further shews 

 that, however uncommon, this amazing development is not in the least 

 degree superfluous. In the two specimens we have examined, one in the 

 Paris museum, the other in our own, the edges of the upper mandible are 

 chipped and broken, obviously from the difficulty which the bird has expe- 

 rienced in breaking some nuts of unusual hardness, and which it has not 



