Gould's Birds of Australasia. 51 



this work have in their possession, at any rate, one highly 

 interesting drawing, and the publication of which has only 

 been delayed from the difficulty of finding a person competent 

 to describe the subject which it illustrates. 



In venturing to offer the above observations with reference 

 to a contemporary periodical, we by no means flatter ourselves 

 with the expectation that this Magazine will not be equally 

 open to criticism, or even censure. We wish, however, to 

 remark, that on all occasions we shall be most glad to avail 

 ourselves of any improvements which may be suggested to us 

 by the Naturalist, or by any other scientific Journal.* 



Art. II. A Synopsis of the Birds of Australasia. By John 

 Gould, F.L.S., &c, Author of " The Birds of Europe," « The 

 Birds of the Himalaya Mountains," &c. London, 1837. 



We have hastily looked over the plates of Mr. Gould's new 

 work, which is announced for publication on the 2d of this 

 month. The illustrations are executed in a style which cer- 

 tainly will not lessen the author's high reputation as an artist 

 and practical ornithologist. On a future occasion, we shall 

 probably give this work a more detailed notice. In the 

 mean time, an extract from the prospectus will convey a better 

 idea of Mr. Gould's object in undertaking the above publica- 

 tion, than any remarks of our own. 



" The Author therefore conceives that a work on the Birds of these 

 countries cannot fail to be of the greatest interest, not only to the natu- 

 ralist and scientific men of our own country, but to those of Europe and 

 America, as well as to the inhabitants themselves of these distant colonies; 

 and he is further induced to commence such an undertaking having at this 

 moment in his possession an exceedingly rich collection, perhaps the finest 

 extant, of the productions of these countries, among which are a large 

 number of undescribed species ; and having also relatives resident there 

 devoted to this branch of science. 



" The object of the present publication is, in the first instance, to make 

 known and record in an eligible form the vast accessions which science has 

 latterly acquired from this portion of the globe ; and, in order to render it of 

 real value and utility to the men of science of all countries, the Author has 

 determined upon giving, besides a Latin and English description, measure- 

 ments, synonyms, &c, a figure of the head of the natural size of every spe- 

 cies, a feature not to be found in preceding works of a similar nature, and 

 by which each bird may at once be distinguished, hitherto a matter of some 

 difficulty, particularly in those that are nearly allied. The work will be 

 published in Parts, each of which will contain 18 Plates, with letter-press 



* Our animadversions upon the Naturalist will not be attributed to un- 

 just motives, as our opinion of that work was known to its conductors 

 before there was any prospect of a contemporaneous publication being placed 

 in our hands. 



e 2 * 



