THE ZOOLOGY OF BRITISH INDIA. 159 



Las been rendered of greater importance from the way it lias been 

 prepared, not only full synonyms and explanatory remarks being 

 given, but copious extracts, relating to the habits of the species, 

 having been added, selected either from the MSS. of the collec- 

 tors, or from their published notes in various Journals, and other 

 publications. The Catalogue of the East India Company's Museum 

 must, therefore, although now to a certain extent superseded by Dr. 

 Jerdon's volumes, ever remain an important work of reference for 

 the Indian Ornithologist. 



Lastly, Mr. Gould's great work, " The Birds of Asia," although 

 not specially devoted to the Ornithology of India, claims our atten- 

 tion, as containing full-sized and life-like illustrations of many of the 

 rarer Indian birds, and destined ultimately, as we believe, to furnish 

 us with similar figures of all the principal forms. Mr. Gould com- 

 menced the issue of this work in 1850, and has hitherto proceeded 

 but slowly with it, publishing usually but one number in the year. 

 Now that some of the other portions of his magnificent series have 

 been brought to a conclusion, we trust that more rapid progress will 

 be made with the "Birds of Asia" — as the importance of good 

 coloured illustrations, for the ready identification of species in orni- 

 thology cannot well be over-estimated. 



In concluding this rapid sketch of the principal authorities, upon 

 which our knowledge of Indian ornithology is based, it wiU be 

 noticed, that, as might have been expected, the work has been nearly 

 entirely performed by our countrymen. One or two French natu- 

 ralists, such as Jacquemont and Delessert, have, it is true, made 

 some contributions to the same subject, in the reports of their 

 several expeditions into the East. The well-known Swedish Orni- 

 thologist Sundevall also published in 1838 a valuable memoir upon 

 the birds, collected and observed by himself, in the neighbourhood of 

 Calcutta, during a three months' residence in that capital, which was 

 translated into English by the late Mr. Strickland. With these 

 exceptions, as we have already stated, the special work relating to the 

 Indian Ornithology has mostly been performed by our compatriots. 



Having said thus much about Dr. Jerdon's predecessors in the 

 same field, let us now turn our attention to the summary of their 

 labours he has prepared, with the advantage of great personal 

 experience gained during many years' hard work on this and kindred 

 subjects in difierent parts of British India. 



Dr. Jerdon commences his work in orthodox fashion, with the 



