SOME EARLY BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS. 361 



to the close of his busy hfe, and when seized with his 

 fatal illness was engaged on a large block entitled, " The 

 Old Horse waiting for Death." 



George Montagu, whose " Ornithological Dictionary " 

 has already been referred to, as having been issued while 

 Bewick was engaged on the compilation of the second 

 volume of his " Birds," was born at Lackham, in 

 Wiltshire, in 1751. He entered the army at an early 

 age, and served as a captain in the 15th Regiment of Foot 

 during the American War. He afterwards settled down 

 at Easton Grey, in Wilts, and became acting colonel 

 of the County Militia. He died at Kingsbridge, in 

 Devonshire, in August, 1815. Montagu was a prolific 

 writer,* but his reputation rests on his " Ornithological 

 Dictionary," a work so able and so well-known that it 

 is only necessary to say that its merits have been as widely 

 acknowledged abroad as at home ; and to quote Coues' 

 dictum "It is one of the most notable treatises on 

 British Birds, as a vade mecuyn which has held its place at 

 a thousand elbows for three-quarters of a century." 



The full title of the book is as follows : — 



Ornithological Dictionary ; / or, / Alphabetical 

 Synopsis / of / British Birds. / By / George Montagu, 

 F.L.S. / In two volumes, / Vol. I. [Vol. II.]. London : / 

 Printed for J. White, Fleet Street, / by T. Bensly, Bolt 

 Court. / 1802. 



Two Vols. 8vo. Collation : Vol. I. pp. 2 un. -]- pp. 

 XLIIL, -\- pp. un. (being sheets B-Y) + Slip of Errata. 

 Plate of Cirl Bunting. Vol. II., Title -j- PP- un. (sheets 

 B-Y) + Slip of Errata. 



A supplement (unpaged) exceeding in bulk the two 

 volumes of the original edition, with 24 plates, was issued 

 by Col. Montagu in 1813 ; and there were numerous 

 editions and re-issues after his death. 



* For a list of his works on Natural History vide " Agassiz," Vol. III.,. 

 p. 614. 



