340 CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



nities of the family are herein traced in a familiar yet scientific and 

 judicious manner, and we are glad to find that, in almost every 

 case, a separate English name has been provided for each genus. 

 The life of Bewick, which opens the volume, is sketchy and pleas- 

 ing, and on the whole the book is well worthy the names of its 

 editor and author, and will, we doubt not, be perused with pleasure 

 by all classes of readers. The memoir of the celebrated — and, we 

 think, unrivalled — wood-cutter, will, of course, possess peculiar 

 charms for every lover of the feathered race. 



The Oriental Annual. Lives of the Mogul Emperors. By the 

 Rev. Hobart Caunter, B.D. With twenty-two Engravings from 

 Drawings by William Daniell, R A. London : C. Tilt. 1837- 



This volume is intended to convey to the general reader a bet- 

 ter and more detailed account of the Mahommedan history of India, 

 illustrated in the shape of lives of the Mogul Emperors, which ap- 

 pears hitherto to have been but imperfectly known. The aim of 

 the majority of annuals is rather to amuse than to instruct, and in 

 this respect, the Oriental Annual heretofore differed in no way from 

 books of a similar nature. In the present volume, however, the 

 desire of the author has been to unite these two objects. Justice 

 compels us to state that Dr. Caunter has succeeded most admirably 

 in his task, and that his readers will find no reason to quarrel with 

 the alterations it has been deemed advisable to effect in this ", new 

 series." The engravings, by Daniell, taken from the sketches of 

 Samuel Davis, Esq., are generally as good as the subjects would 

 admit of; but the execution of the greater number of them is too 

 hard, though never stiff'. The Oriental Annual is exceeded by few 

 of its cotemporaries in practical value, and is calculated to impart 

 much useful knowledge. We may observe that the novelty of this 

 species of publication having nearly worn away, their popularity, 

 too, has considerably diminished ; but as the volume before us is 

 excellent in plan and execution, we care little whether it be called 

 an u annual," or whether it be published in a more modest form. 



British Annual, and Epitome of the Progress of Science. Edited 

 by Robert D. Thomson, M.D. London : Bailliere, Regent Street, 

 1837- 12mo., pp. 375. 



The British Annual professes to be an epitome of the progress of 

 science, and, as the numerous topics are discussed in a concise and 

 popular manner, its use will, we think, be considerable ; its value 

 will consist, not so much in giving a good knowledge of any depart- 

 ment of science, as in imparting a taste for such subjects, and for 

 diving deeper into them. Adding to this the general accuracy with 

 which the work is compiled, the book cannot be considered other- 

 wise than as a valuable acquisition to science ; for though it 

 will not teach directly, it will do so indirectly. Merely to extract 



