164 Notice of British Naturalists. 
_ From this period, for several years, we have no great work es 
pecially dedicated to British Zoology. In 1815, Lamarck, by 
the publication in Paris, of his Histoire naturelle des animauz 
sans vertébres, created a new interest in this study, and placed 
conchology on a new basis; one, however, of which Lister pre- 
viously appears to have seen the propriety. In 1817, appeared, 
likewise in Paris, Cuvier’s Regne Animal. So strong a hold, 
however, had the system of Linnzeus taken on the minds of the 
British naturalists, that neither of these great works was as €OI- 
dially received as they ought to have been; and it has required 
some years fully to attract attention to them; and to show the 
effect which they have produced on the study of the natural sci- 
ences. 
While therefore, this study was gradually gaining ground in 
England; materials were being collected, and many provin-_ 
cial museums and societies, were both formed, and maintained 
with spirit. We must pass on to the year 1825, when Mr. Prr 
peux Joun Sexsy, published the first volume of his magnificent 
work on British birds. It isin large folio. The plates are drawn 
from nature ; frequently from the living specimen, and are lith- 
ographed. Where the dimensions will admit of it, the figures 
are of the size of life; and all are beautifully colored with much 
precision and accuracy. ‘T'wo volumes of letter press accompa 
ny this work. These are confined chiefly to the mere deserip- 
tion and habitat; nor indeed, however much we may lament 
that the admirable sketches, which Mr. Selby is capable of giv- 
ing, should be omitted, was it intended to be otherwise. For 
he says in the preface, “I have contented myself with referring 
by occasional notes, to any anecdotes particularly interesting 4 
to the species under consideration.” In the first edition of his 
first volume, he had chiefly followed the natural arrangement 
proposed by the celebrated French ornithologist, M. Temminck ; 
but finding it to be imperfect, and not adapted to the natural, of 
der, at least of British birds, in his second edition he has rewritten 
the work, and had adopted that system which is proposed by Mr. 
Vigors. 
Mr. Selby is living, and is still ardent in his favorite pursuit. 
He is a gentleman of property and of education ; and his unr 
ing “industry is manifested by the various works which he has 
either edited or published, and the various papers which he bas 
