96 • Mr. Brce's 'Birds of Europe 



rate. The representations of the Gyrfalcon, Saker, and Lanner 

 are reduced copies of Mr. Wolf's illustrations in the ' Traite de 

 Fauconnerie ' of Messrs. Schlegel and Verster de Wulverhorst, 

 and^ notwithstanding the translation which they have undergone, 

 still retain much of their original spirit. Next to these come 

 the drawings by Mr. Reeve, which have much merit. We before 

 noticed the incorrectness of the figure of the Imperial Eagle ; but 

 the worst figure of all is that of the Eleonora Falcon, which is so 

 unhappy-looking, as to remind one of the attempts at drawing 

 birds made a hundred years ago. We regret that we cannot 

 praise the plates which represent eggs. We think the fault must 

 lie in the process of engraving, which does not seem at all ap- 

 plicable to the representation of such delicate objects. Not 

 one of the figures possesses any distinctive characters. But far 

 more serious than this evil, is, we fear, the principle on which 

 Mr.Bree has proceeded, with regard to the specimens or drawings 

 from which the plates are taken. 



The offer of assistance from M. Moquin-Tandon has been, in 

 our opinion, productive of anything but real benefit to the work. 

 Our author says that the figure of the egg of the Booted Eagle 

 is from a drawing furnished by the distinguished French natu- 

 ralist just named, who observes, " This egg was sent to me from 

 the Spanish Pyrenees by a seller of skins. I thought for some 

 time that it belonged to the Common Buzzard, or else the Rough- 

 legged Buzzard ; but on comparing it with two drawings, quite 

 recently published by M. Badeker (pi. "I. fig. 3), I discovered that 

 I had not been deceived." Now here is just one of those cases, 

 which bring the study of Oology, and very justly, into more dis- 

 credit than any other thing. M. Moquin-Tandon's egg is very 

 likely that of a Booted Eagle ; but where is the proof of the fact ? 

 Absolutely, as we read it, there is none. This gentleman buys 

 an egg of a dealer, who we suppose sells it to him under the 

 above name. It is, if it is fairly represented, a nice-looking egg, 

 just about the right size, and slightly mottled with pale reddish 

 brown. But '' How like a Common Buzzard's ! — how like a 

 Rough-legged Buzzard's ! — how like fifty other eggs ! — what a 

 pity ! — there must be a mistake — I have been cheated," he says. 

 '' But wait : here is the first number of Prof Badeker's work; let us 



