Herr Badekcr's and Dr. Brewer's Ooloyical IVorks. 413 



and, if we were, this is not the place to discuss the question ; but 

 we must record our belief that the case of the separatists is not 

 strengthened by the evidence adduced by our author. 



As a set-off to this, we must give the Doctor all praise for, in 

 most cases, resisting the strong temptation by which some 

 naturalists are often overcome, to erect into species those races 

 of birds, permanent though they be, which, by more general 

 consent, are on good grounds supposed to represent the same 

 creation in both Old and New worlds. It is true that the opposite 

 course, which also has its strong advocates, of taking no heed 

 whatever of the differences which may exist between these regional 

 varieties, is greatly to be blamed, and it appears to us that the 

 via media is the safest road to travel, duly considering that local 

 differences do not of necessity make specific distinctions. Thus, 

 though we are far from considering the Golden Eagles of Europe 

 and North America as otherwise than specifically identical, we 

 highly applaud Dr. Brewer's declining to figure an egg of the 

 former race in default of one of the latter. We have said that 

 our author, in most cases, is free from a species-making inclina- 

 tion ; but there are exceptions, such as the Fish -Hawk and Short- 

 eared Owl of America, which he regards as indubitably distinct 

 from their European pendants ; and, with regard to the former, 

 complains of the "unaccountable persistence in error'' on the 

 part of some English naturalists, not one of whom, we venture to 

 assert, ever quoted " extracts written exclusively in reference to 

 the American bird" without mentioning the source of the in- 

 formation, a fact alone sufficient to guard against any chance of 

 mistake. Dr. Brewer remarks that " in their habits the European 

 and American birds are much more decidedly different than in 

 their own markings or in those of their eggs," and proceeds to 

 particulars, most of which are questionable, as, for instance, that 

 the bird from the Old World " is found only in solitary pairs," 

 and '^ rarely builds on trees," but "sometimes on the ground 

 among reeds," though it "almost uniformly resorts to rocky 

 cliffs to breed." The fact has not been sufficiently considered, 

 that the habits of birds, as of men, vary according to the cir- 

 cumstances in which they are placed, such as the facilities of 

 getting food or lodging. It is no more rational because the 



