47 



REVIEWS OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



A Synopsis of the Birds of Australia and the adjacent Islands. By Joh# 

 Gould, F.L. S,, &c. Part 1. London: published by the author, 20, Broad 

 Street, Golden Square. Jan". 1837- 

 Having elsewhere repeatedly been called upon to speak in terms of the highest 

 admiration of the valuable and splendid works of Mr. Gould — especially his 

 Birds of Europe — we are well nigh at a loss to know how to express our opinion 

 of the commencement of his new work, now before us. However, we will do our 

 best to convey to our readers an idea of its plan and aim, and of the manner in 

 which they are executed. — A figure, natural size, of the head of each bird is given, 

 with, occasionally* the rest of the body supplied in outline, and in some cases we 

 have the tarsi and wings. The letter-press consists of descriptions, in Latin and 

 English, of the species, with synonyms, &c, and the habitat. These accounts are 

 short but pithy, and will at once serve to point out to the student the species to 

 which the Australian birds which may happen to be in his collection belong, and will 

 supply the requisite information relative to birds before unknown to him. We 

 could have wished to have heard some particulars of the habits of our feathered 

 friends in Australia ; but of these, we fear, too little is at present known to furnish 

 much matter of interest or importance. — With regard to the plates, they leave 

 nothing for us to desire. For accuracy and vigour of delineation, we consider 

 them unrivalled ; and on the score of beauty, we verily believe this work would 

 prove no mean ornament on the lady's drawing-room table. They are executed 

 with the practised hand of a master ; and we particularly admire the representa- 

 tions of the genus Malurus, where the heads are finished as usual, and the rest 

 of the bodies sketched in a light and excellent style. The colours, too, are as 

 judiciously and accurately laid on as we could desire, and Mr. Gould has not 

 failed even where the tints are most brilliant and difficult to obtain the fresh- 

 ness and vividness of Nature. The first part of the Birds of Australia includes 

 forty-five species, and each succeeding publication — to appear quarterly — will 

 contain about the same number, the whole to be completed in from'six to eight 

 parts. We hope to receive this excellent work regularly, and shall in that case 

 take an early opportunity of announcing its progress. 



Contribution to a Natural and Economical History of the Coco-nut Tree- By 



Henry Marshall, Deputy-Inspector General of Army Hospitals. 8vo. p.p. 



32. Edinburgh: John Stark. 1836. 



This unpretending pamphlet, appearing in almost too modest an attire, is rich 



in the store of interesting facts it has collected together ; and Mr. Marshall, 



combining his own observations in Ceylon with the remarks of various authors 



