186 New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, ^c. 



given a modern interpretation to most of the allusions to birds 

 contained in Shakespeare^s works. These notes are accom- 

 panied with suitable accessory matter, and the whole subject is 

 worked up into a volume of 321 pages. Some nicely executed 

 woodcuts are interspersed throughout the work, which is elabo- 

 rated with great care, the paper and typography being all that 

 could be desired. 



For a fuller explanation than that given by Mr. Harting of 

 the well-known passage in Hamlet, " I am but mad north-north- 

 west : when the wind is southerly I know a Hawk from a 

 Heronshaw,''^ see Mr. Newton's note in the fourth edition of 

 Yarrell's British Birds, i. p. 57. 



Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser have made a fair start with their 

 History of the Birds of Europe*, and nine parts have been 

 issued since March last (1871). There are several points which 

 strongly recommend this work : in the first place, it is by no 

 means dear for one containing quarto coloured illustrations. 

 In the next, the authors seem to spare no pains to get together 

 ample materials to enable them to verify the relationship of 

 closely allied races by actual comparison of specimens. Notes 

 and observations on habits, &c., are not only collated from every 

 available source, but a quantity of new matter bearing on these 

 points has been collected together. Descriptions of sexes, as 

 well as of young in various stages of plumage are given very 

 fully. At the risk of being called hypercritical, we must confess 

 that it appears to us that the authors are displaying even too 

 much zeal in their anxiety to lay before ornithologists all that 

 has been written about each species rather than in sifting out 

 the points having more important bearing on the subject. 

 We should have preferred, for the sake of brevity, to have seen 

 these points given in our authors' own words, rather than in 

 long quotations from already published matter. We think, 

 too, that where so much is brought forward it would have been 

 of great service had the subjects been more carefully classified 

 under headings, so as to facilitate reference to any particular 



* A History of the Birds of Eui-ope, including all the species inhabit- 

 ing the Western Palasarctic Region. Bj R. B. Sharpe and II. E. Dresser. 

 ■Ito. London. Parts I. -IX. 



