296 Analyses of Books. [Ocr. 
which drew forth the histories of quadrupeds and British birds. 
From these humble attempts—for every attempt to depicture 
nature must fall short of the original—it is hoped that some 
useful instruction may be gathered, and at the same time a 
stimulus excited to further enquiry. To the rising generation 
these efforts to instruct and please are principally directed, and 
are set forth with an ardent wish that they may be found to de- 
serve the notice of youth, and contribute to amuse and to inform 
them. May the reader, impressed with sentiments of humanity, 
on viewing the portraits, spare and protect the originals, and 
when these books shall become obsolete, or be lost in the revo- 
lution of time, may some other more able naturalist arise equally 
inclined to produce better to supply their place.” 
Writing like this, it must be acknowledged, harmonizes ad- 
mirably with the author’s design, and is well calculated to pro- 
mote the end at which he aims. His work, though in the first 
instance directed to the rising generation, has not been unpro- 
ductive of advantage even to the initiated. In fact, it has been 
gradually becoming a book of authority and reference to the 
naturalists of every country. This character it owes scarcely 
less to the mass of select and valuable matter accumulated by 
#ts industrious author, than to his long established celebrity as a 
painter and engraver. It is true, there does not appear in it 
much display of that elaborate systematic research which some 
other works can boast, but the information contained in it is not 
on that account the less ample, precise, and authentic. 
It is not our business to enter into the history of that beauti- 
fal and useful art which it was reserved for our able countryman 
to revive, and in reviving (dare we say?) to perfect. A few 
particulars, however, relating to it, we may notice, for the sake 
of correcting some misconceptions which strangely enough 
prevail even to the present time. 
It has, for example, been repeatedly alleged, and is perhaps 
very generally credited, that wood is better adapted than copper 
to the pourtraying of animated nature. Whereas, the fact is 
quite the reverse. The superiority of copper is notorious, so far 
as regards softness of outline, delicacy and minuteness of execu- 
tion, truth and fineness of ultimate effect. One striking ad-’ 
vantage besides, which the artist on copper possesses over 
the wood engraver, is the knowledge of effect which he carries 
with him in his operations. While on wood effect can only be 
doubtfully appreciated, or rather guessed at, and to be fully 
ascertained must be proved at press; thus magnifying incal- 
culably all the difficulties of the wood engraver, and leaving 
him almost wholly at the mercy of the printer. We have inves- 
tigated this subject with some attention, and our conviction is 
that had Mr. B. practised copper engraving, he could with equal 
ease have excelled in it. Nay he might have surpassed even 
his present reputation on wood. This, we are aware, is saying 
