ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL LITERATURE. 467 



account of its having commenced a new era in Ornithology. It is really a sur- 

 prising work when we consider its time of publication : the engravings are, of 

 course, as bad as they can well be Ray's Synopsis Avium (1713) is in some 

 measure a transcript of his friend Willughby's book. Frisch's Vorstellung der 

 Vogel (Berlin, 2 vols., folio, 1739 — G3), and Albin's Natural History of Birds 1 

 barely deserve notice. It were impossible to bestow too high commenda- 

 tion on Edwards's Natural History of Uncommon Birds and Gleanings of 

 Natural History (7 vols. 4to., 1743 — 64). They are invaluable works. Sepp's 

 Nederlandiscke Vogel, though indifferently executed, is perhaps useful as a fauna 

 of the Netherlands. The descriptions in Brisson's Ornithologie (6 vols. 4to., 

 1760) and Ornithologia (2 vols. 8vo., 1672) are accurate, but the plates very 

 indifferent. It is with sincere pleasure that we here recommend the General 

 Synopsis of Birds, by our late friend the distinguished Dr. Latham, published, 

 so long ago as 1782, in five 4to. volumes. Though it necessarily contains many 

 faults, both of omission and commission, it is to this day constantly quoted as a 

 standard authority by the best ornithologists. The General History of Birds 

 (10 vols., 4to., 1821 — 4) is only an enlarged edition of the Synopsis, and has not 

 increased the reputation of its amiable and venerable author, who must ever 

 be considered one of the greatest ornithologists this country has produced. 

 Bechstein's Gemeinnutzige Naturgeschichte der Vogel Deutschlands, his Orni- 

 thologisches Taschenbuch, and his Cage Birds (translated by Rennie), have 

 earned for the author a well-merited fame. 



W. Lewin's Birds of Britain (8 vols. 4to., 1795 — 1801), once valuable, has 

 long since ceased to be so considered ; but W. J. Lewin's Birds of New South 

 Wales contains plates " of permanent value." Bewick's British Birds is familiar 

 to all our readers. The vignettes or tail-pieces in this publication still retain 

 their original charm ; otherwise the work is any thing but indispensable. We 

 shall not fatigue the reader with an enumeration of the splendid and costly illus- 

 trated monographs of the continental ornithologists Desmarest, Vieillot, 

 Lesson, Audebert, and others, especially as we have supplied their titles in full 

 elsewhere. {Orn. Text-book, pp. 24 and 47). Levaillant's Histoire Naturelle 

 des Oiseaux of Afrique is an inestimable work (6 vols., folio or 4to., Paris, 1799). 

 Montagu's Ornithological Dictionary is deserving of all praise ; and so far from 

 being — as its name might imply — a dry book, it is one of the most interesting 

 works on birds with which we are acquainted. A new edition is in preparation ; 

 and we would advise those who propose procuring the Colonel's dictionary to wait 

 for its publication rather than submit to purchase Rennie's edition. 



Alexander Wilson's American Ornithology has long been familiar to the 

 reading public as one of the liveliest and most accurate works on this delightful 

 subject in existence. Professor Jameson has published a cheap and good edition 



