466 ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL LITERATURE. 



i — especially the two last — are well deserving of attention, on account of the 

 accuracy of their descriptions, and the admirable character of the coloured plates. 

 To these we may add other valuable and expensive publications, as Dr. Hors- 

 Field's Zoological Researches in Java (1824, 4to.), the Faune Francaise, by 

 MM. Vieillot, Desmarest, De Blainville, Audinet-Serville, St. Fargeau, 

 Walkenaer (1824, 8vo., incomplete), Bonaparte's Fauna Italica (Rome, 1832, 

 folio, in course of publication), his Genera of North American Birds (New York, 

 1828, 8vo.), and Illustrations of Zoology, by James Wilson, Esq., containing 

 representations of rare species. — Pulteney's Catalogue of the Birds, Shells, §c, 

 of Dorsetshire, is frequently referred to. Sowerby's British Miscellany (1806, 

 8vo., with coloured plates), and Capt. Brown's Zoologist's Text-book (1833, 2 vols., 

 l2mo.), are books of little worth, but Low's Fauna Orcadensis is both interest- 

 ing and useful. We shall conclude this department of our paper by recommending, 

 for general perusal, three popular and recently published works : — Mudie's British 

 Naturalist (WhittaKer & Co., 1835, 12mo.), Jesse's Gleanings in Natural 

 History (1832 — 5, Svo., Murray), and Knapp's Journal of a Naturalist (Mur- 

 ray, 8vo., 1829). 



The works treating exclusively of Mammalogy are both few in number, and, 

 for the most part, indifferent in quality. Those deserving of the most favourable 

 notice are of continental origin. In 1820 — 22 M. Desmarest published, in two 

 4to. parts, at Paris, Mammalogie, ou descriptions des especes de mamm feres; and 

 Temminck issued, at the same city, his Monographies de Mammalogie (1827, 

 4to.). All the works of these two naturalists are of the highest order. The 

 Synopsis Methodica Animalium Quadrupedum et Serpentini Generis (1693, 

 8vo.), of our worthy countryman Ray, is more interesting in an historical point 

 of view than instructive at the present comparatively advanced period of our 

 knowledge. A whole host of popular books on " beasts " have at various times 

 issued from the press. At the head of these stands Bewick's General History 

 of Quadrupeds, now chiefly valuable for its wood-cuts and vignettes. Donovan's 

 History of British Quadrupeds (1820, 3 vols., 8vo.) appears to be but little 

 known : we have never met with a copy of it, or heard it mentioned either with 

 praise or censure. But the recent appearance of Bell's British Quadrupeds ( Van 

 Voorst,, 1837, 1 thick 8vo. vol.) has had the effect of completely placing in the 

 shade all the previous labours of British authors on this subject. Its admirable 

 letter-press, and equally excellent illustrations, render it indispensable to the 

 mammalogist, who needs no other work to render him perfectly acquainted with 

 the quadrupeds of this country. 



The first purely ornithological work to which we shall allude is the Ornithology 

 of Willughby (folio, 1678), not because it is the first book in this department 

 of Natural History which we would place in the hands of the beginner, but on 



