SOME EARLY BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS. 357 



him to form a better notion of these matters." These 

 descriptions Bewick helped to revise and correct. When, 

 however, the title page was in preparation, Beilby wished 

 to appear as the author, and desired the book to be 

 announced as being " by R. Beilby " ; but although this 

 idea was abandoned through the influence of Mr. Hodgson, 

 the foundation of the quarrel between Bewick and Beilby 

 was commenced, which finally led to the dissolution of 

 their partnership. The " History of Quadrupeds " 

 proved so great a success, being appreciated by young and 

 old alike, that Bewick began to turn his thoughts to a 

 "" History of British Birds."* For this purpose he 

 commenced to study various works on the subject, and 

 informs us that " in addition to Pennant's works, [he] 

 perused ' Albin's History of Birds,' Belon's very old 

 book,t Willoughby and Ray, etc. Mr. John Rotherham 

 gave me ' Gesner's Natural History,' with some of these 

 I was in raptures. Willoughby and Ray struck me as 

 having led the way to truth and to British Ornithology. 

 .... I was much pleased with ' White's History of 

 Selborne.' Pennant, however, opened out the largest 

 field of information, and on his works I bestowed the 

 most attention. The last of our ornithologists, and one 

 of the most indefatigible, was the late Col. George 

 Montagu, author of the ' Ornithological Dictionary 

 (Memoir, pp. 161, 162.) 



In addition to the time he devoted to the works 

 above mentioned, Bewick, who at the beginning of 

 his undertaking had made up his mind " to copy 

 nothing from the works of others, but to stick to 

 Nature as closely as I could," availed himself of an 

 invitation from Mr. Constable, the owner of " Wycliffe," 



* This project was, however, in full consideration in 1790, vide 

 letter from John Bewick (1760-1795). Robinson's " Thomas Bewick: 

 his Life and Times," p. 94. 



t L'Histoire de la Nature des Oyseaux, avec leurs descriptions, & 

 naifs portraicts. . . . Par Pierre Belon du Mans, Paris, 1555. 

 1 vol. folio. This work of Belon's, though not so diffuse as Conrad 

 Gesner's " Historia Avium " of the same date, is nevertheless the most 

 trustworthy authority of that period. 



