«P BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY. 87 



vre Will forbear to aggravate the work of torture by renewed fla- 

 gellation ; and sustain our well-known character for mercy to the 

 literary delinquent, by rather pouring oil and wine upon the Profes- 

 sor's wounds ; in grateful remembrance of the important services 

 which he has already rendered — and in pleasing anticipation of 

 those which he may yet render — to the cause of natural science in 

 this country. 



Mr, Gould, to whose splendid labours we shall anon revert, closes 

 with Mr. Slaney, Mr. Mudie, and the aforesaid Professor Rennie, 

 the enumeration of ornithological writers belonging to the First 

 Division of our retrospect. 



The Outline of the Smaller British Birds, a duodecimo volume, 

 by R. A. Slaney, Esq., M. P.^ is a very pleasing and meritorious 

 production ; reflecting honour alike on the character and talents of 

 the British Senator. It abounds with entertaining, although not 

 original, matter. We beg leave to recommend it especially to the 

 notice of '* Ladies and young persons," for vv^hose use it is princi- 

 pally intended. Would to Heaven that all our Parliament-men 

 were, in the intervals of relaxation from their senatorial duties, as 

 honourably, usefully, and innocentl}'^ occupied, as the amiable and 

 intellectual Mr. Slaney ! 



The little work, entitled Domestic Habits oj Birds, by Professor 

 Rennie, and forming one of the volumes of the Library of Enter- 

 taining Knowledge, will be read, by the ornithological student, with 

 much interest and advantage- It contains a full and tolerably cor- 

 rect description of the process of incubation, and the development 

 of the chick, in the egg of birds, with illustrative sketches on wood, 

 copied ])rincipally from the labours of the celebrated Malpighi. 



Of the two duodecimo volumes of Mr. ]Mudie, The Feathered 

 Tribes of the British Isles, published during the present year, our 

 opinion is not quite so favourable as that which the public has been 

 pleased, in its wisdom, to pronounce upon the work. The title is 

 indeed taking ; and the title-page adorned with a shewy vignette ; 

 and the plates are prettily coloured ; and the volumes, altogether, 

 neatly got up ; and will^ doubtless, form a very pretty present to 

 those who regard the exterior decorations, and typographical execu- 

 tion, rather than the internal constitution and intrinsic value, of a 



