ORNITHOLOGICAL SYNONYMS. 7 



know how earnestly and usefully he laboured. We have also been with him 

 when employed in collecting materials for the work now before us, and have 

 admired the industry, acumen, and learning which he displayed ; and while 

 we rejoiced that so necessary a work was in such competent hands, we felt 

 somewhat grieved that the impertinences to which we have referred 

 should occupy so much of the attention of one who was well qualified 

 to reform the whole system of Ornithology. We are aware that he had not 

 trammelled himself with artificial systems, but that, taking birds as he found 

 them, he sought in their obvious affinities the right key to their classification. 

 Would that he had lived to work this out. 



We have just had the authority of one of our eminent ornithologists for 

 saying that no work, such as that now before us, has been so well done. The 

 unravelling of Synonymy is a labour of science which requires much learning, 

 exemplary patience, and great impartiality ; while to ordinary persons it 

 shows no considerable results, it is most valuable to scientific men, especially 

 in economising of time, and enabling those who have but little leisure to 

 do good service. We cannot, therefore, be too grateful to persons whose 

 erudition and self-devotion are applied to the accomplishment of such works 

 as that of Mr. Strickland. Notwithstanding what we have said, it is 

 obvious that it is not a book from which extracts can be here given ; but 

 some notion of the labour attending its compilation may be attained when, 

 without counting the time spent in museums, collating collections, corres- 

 pondence, &c, it is known that he has referred to about seven hundred 

 works of authors in various languages. One use of the work is its serving 

 as a means of reference to the several authors quoted. It must not, however, 

 be depended on as an Universal index, as we find, doubtless for some good 

 reason, that no reference is made to the authors who have noticed some of 

 the recent additions to our list of Accipitres, though these authors are quoted 

 in ordinary cases. On the whole, we strongly recommend the book, and 

 we think no ornithologist should be without it. R. B. 



General Outline of the Organization of the Animal Kingdom, and 

 Manual of Comparative Anatomy. By Thomas Rymer Jones, F.R.S., 

 Professor of Comparative Anatomy in King's College, London. Se- 

 cond Edition. 8vo. London: Van Voorst. 1855. £1 lis. 6d. 



It is now about fifteen years since the first edition of Professor Rymer 

 Jones's " General Outline of the Animal Kingdom" was placed in the hands 



