Sect. I.] Zooiogi/. 153 



and complete yet presented to the world. The 

 history of birds has also been well treated by Bris- 

 son* andBuffon, of France; and those o[ Africa 

 have been ably described by Vaillant, of the same 

 country. In addition to which, it may be worthy 

 of notice, that the plates published by order of the 

 king of France, and intended to accompany Buf- 

 fon's History of Birds, are certaiidy among the most 

 elegant specimens of human art ever executed to 

 promote the study of ornithology. Among tliose 

 who have contributed to the improvement of orni- 

 thology, Sparrman, of Sweden, is also entitled to an 

 honourable place. The plates of his Museum Carl~ 

 soniamnn are among the best that were ever pub- 

 li^hed. They are said to be less tawdry and more 

 natural than tlifose of BafTon. A new classification 

 of Birds has been presented to the public by Paul 

 H. G. Moehring, of Germany, who died in 1 792 3 

 and, still more recently, a new arrangement of the 

 same class of animals has been made by la Cepede, 

 of France. 



That department of zoology which includes the 

 Amphibia, or the tJiird Linnaean class, has also 

 been greatly extended and improved during the 

 eighteenth century. Beside Linnaeus, this class 

 was treated, with much ability, by Mr. Catesby, 

 an English gentleman, who resided for some time 

 in America f. Next to him. Dr. Garden, who spent 



* The Ornithologk of Biisson has been prononnced, by some 

 good judges, to be, so idx as respects tlie description ot" the species 

 of birds, one of the most accurate works that Iia\c hitherto 

 appeared. 



f Natural History of Carolina, Floridn, and the B'lhama Islands, 

 &e. By Mark Catesby. 2 vols, folio. 



