OF BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY. 81 



undescribed Animals, four volumes quarto, bearing the date of 1743, 

 with the three supplementary volumes, entitled Gleanings, — of 

 1751, is much superior to that of Albin, both in the literary and 

 iconographical departments. It contains, however, but few British 

 birds. 



Tlie celebrated Ornithologie of Brisson, comprized in six quarto 

 volumes, made its appearance, in I76O. It is illustrated with nu- 

 merous and tolerably correct engravings ; furnished with luminous 

 descriptions in French and Latin ; and constitutes a valuable collec- 

 tion of ornithological facts, frequently referred to by modern wri~ 

 ters. An Abstract of it, entitled Omithologia sive Synopsis Metho- 

 dica, written in Latin, and destitute of figures, was published, in 

 two octavo volumes, at Leyden, in 1763. The descriptions, which 

 it contains, of the various Orders genera, species, and varieties of 

 Birds, are singularly expressive, luminous, and concise. They are, 

 both, admirable works for the ornithological student. 



The literary world was, in 1775, favoured, by Mr. Hayes, with 

 a Natural History of British Birds, in folio, containing forty plates ; 

 which, although '' accurately drawn and beautifully coloured," — so 

 sayeth the unassuming author, — are worth little more than the 

 price of waste paper. Latham's General Synopsis of Birds,* bear- 

 ing the date of 1781, and published in four quarto volumes, consti- 

 tutes a very important contribution to ornithological science ; and 

 is now rarely to be met with. Two volumes of Supplement appear- 

 ed, at different periods, several years subsequently. Of Walcot's 

 Synopsis of British Birds, which came out in 1789, we have never 

 yet been able to procure a copy. The valuable Index Ornithologi. 

 ciis, of Latham, — a quarto volume, — was produced in 1790, 



The year 1797, was rendered memorable in the annals of wood- 

 engraving, if not of- British Ornithology, by the appearance of Be- 

 wick's justly celebrated and popular work, entitled The History of 



* Professor Rennie, among the works oi Literary Naturalists ( Ornith. Dio- 

 tionary, p. Ivii), records the title of another production by Latham, — A Ge- 

 neral History of Birds^ 10 vols. 4to. Winchester, 1828. Never having heard 

 of the existence of such a work, and well aware that even the most renowned 

 and vigilant authors are occasionally not over-scrupulous in the correctness 

 of their quotations, we suspect that an error has been committed in tran- 

 scribing the title, and date, of this publicatic«i. 



October, 1835. — vol. hi. no. xiii. g. 



