98 'Birds of Europe not observed in the British Isles.* 



ornithology, that we have been so careful to correct the errors 

 that have crept into it, in spite of the time and labour, of which 

 the author has not been sparing in devoting to his task. We 

 therefore entreat Mr. Bree to take in good part all we have said; 

 we can honestly declare that we are prompted by no ill-feeling 

 against him. If our censure has been plain-spoken, so also has 

 been our praise ; and praise of a very high degree he merits. 

 There is one point of view especially from which Mr, Bree's 

 work deserves every encouragement. 



Many, we hope all, real naturalists (and here we use the word 

 in a restricted sense) have seen with great pain the late insen- 

 sate rage for acquiring specimens of natural history, especially 

 of so-called " British " birds. These are in most cases amassed 

 from the mere amor habendi. No use whatever is made of 

 them ; our knowledge of the purposes they were designed, when 

 in life, to fulfil, is in no way advanced by nine out of ten of the 

 collections of British birds, which now are so commonly formed. 

 On the contrary, it is greatly retarded, as the destruction of 

 every curious and uncommon bird of course diminishes the op- 

 portunities of observation, and collections on this plan, or rather 

 this want of plan, tend to encourage the knavish more than the 

 honest dealer. Now it must inevitably slacken the demand for 

 these " Rare British Birds," if collectors will extend their so- 

 licitude to foreigners. We shall cease to hear of enormous 

 prices taken or refused for a Rock Thrush or a Cream-coloured 

 Courser which may happen to have been killed in this country, 

 and which really ought to have no greater intrinsic value on 

 that account. The advantages of strictly local collections are 

 not to be denied, but they are chiefly discernible with respect to 

 common indigenous species, A good series of specimens show- 

 inc: the constant distinctions to be found between individuals 

 from different localities of any of our most plentiful species, say 

 the Yellow Bunting or the Red Grouse, would be in every way 

 much more interesting than a collection containing many high- 

 priced stragglers from foreign lands. It is in this manner we 

 believe that science can be most benefited. Herein we claim 

 Mr. Bree on our side. Some years ago he recorded, in the pages 

 of the * Zoologist ' (1849, p. 2524), opinions nearly identical 



