233 



On the whole, we cheerfully give the meed of approbation to this beautiful, 

 scientific, and moderate-priced series of ornithological illustrations, and hope to be 

 able to welcome it, as its future volumes appear, with undiminished favour, to its 

 termination. Nevertheless, in some respects, we think there might be a little 

 improvement. The manners and habits of the birds, when known, might be more 

 enlarged upon than they now are, many being very short and meagre. Ample 

 space might be found for this in the curtailment, if not entire omission, of the 

 biographies. Raffles and Bewick, indeed, we might submit to, and the portrait 

 and memoir of the latter prefixed to the Parrots is interesting. But then Bewick 

 had nothing to do with Parrots ; and to have to wade through a hundred and 

 twelve pages of a memoir of Aristotle, and eighty-two of Pliny, prefixed to ac- 

 counts of the gallinaceous birds, is more than we could venture on ; we have not 

 had pluck to attempt it, and our copies remain uncut on these particulars. In 

 fact, this savours rather too much of the " make-weight" system, and in future 

 we hope will rather be honoured in the " bi'each" than in the observance. This 

 we conceive not to be the place for long biographies, especially those of the eyeless 

 ancients, whom we know where to find if we want them ; though perhaps a pithy 

 sketch of, and a look at, such bird-lovers (not fanciers) as Bewick, Wilson, or 

 Audubon, is not to be objected to. We should, however, be sorry to say a word 

 disparaging to so interesting and spirited an undertaking as this is, requiring, of 

 course, an extensive sale to remunerate its projectors ; we only wish its useful and 

 attractive powers to be developed to the utmost possible degree. 



EXTRACTS FROM FOREIGN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. 



Entomological. 



Abstract of Dr. Erichson's Systematic Distribution of the 

 Bostrichidje, (Bark Beetles). 



(From Wiegmanris" Archivfiir Naturgeschichte" \stes.hefi, 1836.^ 



The Bostrichidce constitute a portion of Latreille's Xylophaga ; but as this 

 group consists of very heterogeneous materials, they have less affinity with any 

 other genus of that tribe than with the Curculios. Cis, however, from the struc- 

 ture of its mouth, may be allied to the Bostrichidce, but from which it still widely 

 differs by its tetramerous tarsi. The apparent affinity of Apate with the Bostri- 

 vol. i. 2 H 



