CHAPTER OF CRITICISM. 237 



off in the wood-cuts subsequent to the first, I wish to address a few remarks for 

 the consideration of your readers. In reviewing the third part, at p. 57, you 

 certainly hint at something of the kind, and " trust that this falling-off is only 

 temporary, and that subsequent publications will not tend to justify the doubtless 

 erroneous suspicion — which has already reached our ears — that so much pains 

 were taken with the wood-cuts in the first part merely to ensure a large sale for 

 the work." If your readers will take the trouble critically to examine parts iii., 

 iv., and v., I fear this suspicion will be too strongly confirmed by the inferiority 

 of some of the wood-cuts, and unless subsequent numbers improve, it will greatly 

 deteriorate the sale of the work. Those illustrations which your readers will 

 doubtless on close inspection find to be extremely faulty, are the following : — the 

 Montagu Harrier, p. 100; Red-backed Shrike, p. 154; Spotted Flycatcher, p. 

 164 (Is this the Grey Flycatcher, which you mention as exceptionable at p. 165 

 of The Naturaliit?*); Fieldfare, p. 189; Golden Oriole, p. 212; Hedge Acn 

 centor, p. 223 ; Redstart, p. 237 (very bad). 



Perhaps the wood-cut which is the freest from that stiffness which unfortu- 

 nately pervades them is the Blackbird, p. 202 ; to coin a phrase, it is the most 

 Beieickian. There are many other birds in which anything but excellence is 

 visible, but I only wish to draw the attention of your readers to the most faulty, 

 as it would ill become one who is merely a student in the paths of Nature to be 

 too critical. That Mr. Yarrell's wood-cuts are much inferior to those of 

 Bewick in the position and natural character of the birds, I have heard more 

 than one ornithologist confess ; in point of engraving, the advantage is certainly 

 with Mr. Yarrell ; but which is of the most consequence to the ornithologist I 

 will leave to your readers to determine. The public may be dazzled and led 

 away by the superior style and finish of the engravings, but the lover of Natural 

 History should never lose sight of what is certainly of infinitely more conseqence to 

 him — a correct representation of the object. Many of Mr. Yarrell's birds are 

 apparently drawn from badly stuffed specimens, which is indicated by the stiffness 

 of those that I have pointed out. Those of your readers who wish to be informed 

 on the present state of wood-engraving (which is not so palmy as the public 

 imagine), will find much interesting and valuable information in the second and 

 third chapters of the second volume of Howitt's Rural Life in England, a work 

 invaluable to all lovers of the country. If you think these remarks worth insert- 

 ing in The Naturalist^ I may on a future occasion say a word or two on Mr. 

 Bell's Quadrupeds. 



I am, Dear Sir, &c. &c. &c, 



Woodside, March 1, 1838. T. B. Hall. 



* It is tbe same.— Ed. 



