MS. "Illustrations of Indian Ornithulogy." 337 



to which I uow propose to call attention. The original in- 

 tention seems to have been to make his proposed work a 

 complete history of Indian ornithology ; but illness and other 

 circumstances prevented this laudable object from being at- 

 tained ; consequently the Gallinacece, the Gi'allce, the Anseres, 

 the Insessores, the Sylviidce, the Parida and kindred genera, 

 and the Conirostres are wholly wanting^. 



The work consists of seven small folio volumes, the title- 

 page of each being printed, while the whole of the letter-press 

 is most neatly written by hand. The characters of the orders, 

 families, and genera Colonel Tickell adopts are given in detail ; 

 and each genus is illustrated by accurately drawn outlines 

 showing, in most instances, the bill, feet, and wing-structare. 

 These outlines are drawn with the very greatest care, and in 

 each case to scale, and not by eye alone. Every species per- 

 sonally known to the author is figured ; and many of the 

 plates are works of art. It may be aflSrmed that nearly all 

 are good, and that many are almost perfection. AVhile the 

 ornithological characters of nearly every species are accurately 

 rendered, the attitude of each bird discloses how well Colonel 

 Tickell observed and how closely he studied nature. The 

 attractiveness of the plates is moreover much enhanced by 

 the backgrounds in which the figures are set. A knowledge 

 of the haunts and habits of each species can almost be ac- 

 quired by studying the accessories of each figure. Every 

 plate is a highly finished landscape, true to nature, often 

 enlivened by scenes from every-day life in India, either 

 in the plains or in the jungle, in town or in cantonments. 

 After the monotonous uniformity of the conventional back- 



* While this paper was passing through the press I was favoured by 

 General Boyd and the Rev. E. A. Tickell with an opportunity of ex- 

 amining all the original drawings and notes in their possession from which 

 Colonel Tickell elaborated the more complete work under notice. They are 

 bound up in two folio and three quarto volumes, and comprise notices 

 and coloured drawings of many more species than are to be found in the 

 Zoological Society's copy, many of them relating to birds belonging to 

 the orders and families there omitted. I have not had time to thoroughly 

 examine these volumes ; but a cursory inspection has satisfied me that an 

 account of their contents mav be of use and interest to ornithologists. 



