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SKETCHES OF EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 

 Gould's " Birds of Europe," Part XV. 

 By Neville Wood, Esq. 



In several recent numbers of The Analyst, have appeared articles under the 

 above title, purporting to be analyses of Mr. Gould's splendid work. With this 

 view the first four parts were criticised by a correspondent. Subsequently, 

 however, it occurred to the writer of the present paper that something more than 

 a mere review was required, in order to render the plan of extended benefit to 

 the student. We accordingly, in many instances, added facts and opinions of 

 our own, and in others greatly abridged or entirely altered the original of Mr. 

 Gould, both in order to ensure fairness to the author, and to suit our own con- 

 venience. The work is now completed in twenty-two parts, folio ; and it not 

 only forms the best history of European birds in existence, but is unquestionably 

 the most splendid and perfect ornithological publication ever issued in this or any 

 other country. Analyses of the remaining parts will appear in future numbers 

 of The Naturalist, upon a plan similar to that now presented to our readers. At 

 the conclusion a complete list of European birds will, if desirable, be supplied. It 

 only remains to be added, that our desire of bestowing increased care and atten- 

 tion on The Naturalist, mainly induced us to secede from the editorship of the 

 quarterly periodical which appeared for some time under the joint-conductorship 

 of Mr. W. Holl and Mr. N. Wood ; and hence the publication of the concluding 

 portion of the present series in The Naturalist. 



Part XV. — The Booted Eagle, Aquila pennata, — Aigle botte, French. The 

 figure is of the natural size, and quite as excellent as we can desire ; it represents 

 an adult. This is the smallest of the Eagles, and though Mr. Gould is quite 

 right in regarding it as an Aquila, yet it has some points in common with the 

 Buzzards. " The eastern portions of Europe, and the adjacent districts of Asia, 

 constitute its native habitat, whence it migrates annually as far as Austria, 

 Moravia, and the eastern parts of Germany. It feeds on small quadrupeds and 

 birds, and, according to our author, on insects." Temminck informs us that it 

 breeds in Hungary, near the Carpathian Mountains. The eggs are unknown. 

 Young birds have " narrow transverse bars of sandy yellow across the breast and 

 thighs." This bird is the Booted Falcon of the late venerable Dr. Latham. 



Rustic Bunting, Emberiza rustica, — Bruant rustique, Fr. The plate con- 

 tains spirited representations of a male and female of this rare and handsome 

 bird. Inhabits Siberia, Kamtschatka, and the adjacent islands, and is said to be 

 frequently met with in the north-east of Europe ; neither Mr. Gould nor M. 

 Temminck appear to have received recent specimens. Though probably a true 



