20 DICTIONARY OF BIRDS 



The other work to the importance of which on Ornithology in this 

 country allusion has been made is Bewick's History of British Birds. 

 The first volume of this, containing the Land-Birds, appeared in 1797^ — 

 the text being, it is understood, by Beilby — the second, containing the 

 Water-Birds, in 1804. The woodcuts illustrating this work are generally 

 of surpassing excellence, and it takes rank in the category of artistic 

 publications. Fully admitting the extraordinary execution of the engrav- 

 ings, every ornithologist may perceive that as portraits of the Birds 

 represented they are of very unequal merit. Some of the figures were 

 drawn from stuffed specimens, and accordingly perpetuate all the imper- 

 fections of the original ; others delineate species with the appearance of 

 which the artist was not familiar, and these are either wanting in expres- 

 sion or are caricatures ;^ but those that were drawn from live Birds, or 

 represent species which he knew in life, are worthy of all praise. It is 

 well known that the earlier editions of this work, especially if they be 

 upon large paper, command extravagant prices ; but in reality the copies 

 on smaller paper are now the rarer, for the stock of them has been con- 

 sumed in nurseries and schoolrooms, where they have been torn up or 

 worn out with incessant use. Moreover, whatever the lovers of the fine 

 arts may say, it is nearly certain that the " Bewick Collector " is mistaken 

 in attaching so high a value to these old editions, for owing to the want 

 of skill in printing — indifferent ink being especially assigned as one cause 



many of the earlier issues fail to shew the most delicate touches of the 



engraver, which the increased care bestowed upon the edition of 1847 

 (published under the supervision of the late John Hancock) has revealed, 

 — though it must be admitted that certain blocks have suffered from wear 

 of the press so as to be incapable of any more producing the effect intended. 

 Of the text it may be said that it is respectable, but no more. It has 

 given satisfaction to thousands of readers in time past, and will, it may 

 be hoped, give satisfaction to thousands in time to come. 



The existence of these two works explains the widely-spread taste for 

 Ornithology in this country, which is to foreigners so puzzling, and the 



tliey generally contrive to display their incompetence. A more remarkable feature 

 is the publication of a fairly printed edition at the price of sixpence ! A curiously 

 compressed German translation by F. A. A. Meyer appeared at Berlin in 1792, under 

 the title of Beytrage zur NaturgeschichU von England ; and more than one reprint, 

 apparently of Lady Dover's "Bowdlerized" edition of 1833, has been issued in 

 America {cf. Coues, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. ii. p. 429). For information as to different 

 editions published prior to and including that of Bell, see Notes and Queries, ser. 5, 

 vii. pp. 241, 264, 296, 338, 471, viii. p. 304, and ix. p. 150. 



The imitators of Gilbert White are countless. More than one has admittedly 

 produced a very pretty book ; but on essaying a second the falling off is manifest. 

 Others at once shew their shallowness, and good as may be their intention, their 

 observations, however pleasant to read, are utterly valueless. Such writers can 

 seldom rid themselves of the consciousness of their own personality, the absence of 

 which is so charming in the author they more or less unconsciously mimic. 



1 There were two issues — virtually two editions — of this with the same date on 

 the title-page, though one of them is said not to have been published till the following 

 year. Among several other indicia this may be recognized by the woodcut of the 

 "Sea Eagle" at page 11 bearing at its base the inscription " Wycliffe, 1791," and by 

 the additional misprint on page 145 of Sahseniclus for Schainiclus. 



- This is especially observable in the figures of the Birds-of-Prey. 



