SOME EARLY BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS. 391 



speedily became recognised as the standard authority on 

 British ornithology. The success of Macgillivray's master- 

 piece was undoubtedly retarded by the simultaneous 

 appearance of Yarrell's work, and it was further hampered 

 by the fact that while Yarrell completed his task in 1843, 

 it was not until nine years later that Macgillivray's was 

 brought to a conclusion, twelve years having been allowed 

 to elapse between the publication of the first three and 

 the last two volumes. The matter of nationality had 

 also perhaps some bearing on the question ; the English 

 public naturally preferring the work of a fellow country- 

 man to that of a Scotsman, however able.* But all these 

 circumstances, much as they tended to prevent the due 

 appreciation of Macgillivray's labours, were but trivial 

 in comparison with the predominating cause of his com- 

 parative failure. The failure of the " History of British 

 Birds " lay in the intrinsic value of the book itself. 



To understand how this arose it is necessary to consider 

 not only the scope of Macgillivray's book itself, but also 

 the state and condition of ornithology in this country at 

 that time. The increasing study of ornithology had 

 produced in that science, in common with many others, 

 specialists; i.e., students and writers who devoted them- 

 selves to some particular department or branch of their 

 favourite science. These had gradually formed them- 

 selves into three distinct groups : the anatomists or 

 morphologists, the chamber-naturahsts, and the field- 

 naturahsts. The first named carried out their work 

 in the dissecting room and the laboratory, the second 

 devoted their attention to the study of the skins of birds 

 in the museum, and of the labours of others in the ornitho- 

 logical library ; the third gave their time to the observa- 

 tion and study of living birds in their natural surroundings. 

 The labours of the chamber-naturalists were chiefly 



* In much the same way — to compare small things to great — the 

 undoubted merit of Fleming's " History of British Animals," 1828, had 

 been injuriously affected by the greater popularity accorded to a 

 similar undertaking by an Englishman, viz., Jenyns' "Manual of British 

 Vertebrate Animals," which appeared in 1835. 



