BIRDS. 169 



) a convenient abridgement of his larger work, was 

 published in two volumes quarto in 1790. 



It would be impossible in the limits of a short notice to give 

 a detailed account of the numerous works connected with orni- 

 thology which appeared previous and subsequent to the works of 

 the systematical authors now mentioned. Hernandez and 

 Marcgrave figured many of the birds of Mexico and Brazil ; 

 Sir Hans Sloane, inhis History of Jamaica, has represented forty- 

 four species ; and many of the birds of Carolina and Florida are 

 excellently described by Catesby. The birds of Africa have been 

 splendidly illustrated by Vaillant; and the Tanagers, Todiers, 

 and Manakins by Desmarest ; Wilson in his American Ornitho- 

 logy has done much to illustrate the feathered races in that 

 vast continent ; and his able follower in that branch of science, 

 Charles Bonaparte, promises to complete our knowledge of 

 American birds. Edwards, in his Natural History of Birds, 

 and in his Gleanings of Natural History, has given many ex- 

 cellent figures ; and Dr Shaw in his General Zoology, continued 

 by Mr Stephens, has made known to the English reader a great 

 many interesting species. A number of other British writers 

 have contributed to illustrate this interesting branch of natural 

 history, such as Pennant in his British Zoology, Lewins in his 

 work on British Birds, Bewick, Montague, Donovan, and very 

 recently Mr P. J. Selby, in his splendid work entitled Illustra- 

 tions of British Ornithology. A work on General Ornithology 

 by the same gentleman and Sir William Jardine, Bart, may al- 

 so be mentioned as now in progress. For other writers we must 

 refer to the list of the principal works on ornithology at the end 

 of this volume. 



In the Encyclopedic Methodique the Abbe Bonnaterre divides 

 Birds into twelve classes, after the structure of the feet, and 112 

 genera, characterized from the form of the bill and other minor 

 distinctions. 



Professor Blumenbach, in his Manual of Natural History, pub- 

 lished in 1807, arranges the Class of Birds into nine Orders, viz. 

 (A.) LAND BIRDS. VI. GALLIN^E, 



I. ACCIPITRES, VII. STRUTHIONES. 



II. LEVIROSTRES, 



III. PICI, (B.) WATER BIRDS. 



IV. CORACES, VIII. GRALL^E,| 

 V. PASSERES, IX. ANSERES.f 



