Stark's Elements of Natural History. 395 



in the candour of Mr. Stark, who openly admits, in the advertisement 

 prefixed, the absence of originaUty in the pages he has given to the 

 world, and states, though not without some little reserve, the sources 

 to which he is indebted for the information collected by him. To quote 

 from this advertisement, and to take in connexion with it a rapid glance 

 at the exposition here given of the animal kingdom, vnll best explain 

 the contents of the work, and most effectually point out the authorities 

 on which it is based. 



" In the class Mammalia,'''' we are informed that " the Mammalogie 

 " of M. Desmarest has been followed, with the addition of the species 

 " described since that work was published ;" but the absence of certain 

 errors which are to be found in that still useful compilation, induces us 

 to suspect that the authour has, in many instances at least, had recourse to 

 the Synopsis of the species of Mammalia contained in Mr. Griffiths's 

 edition of the Regne Animal of Baron Cuvier. From this latter compilation, 

 (which, although erroneous in many particulars, and especially confused 

 as regards its typographical execution, is yet the best, so far as it extends, 

 that has hitherto appeared,) the greater number, if not the whole, of the 

 additional species of the present publication have been adopted ; but, by 

 some over-sight, several which might have been taken from it have been 

 omitted ; instances of which will be seen by comparing the genera Ca- 

 nis and Ursus in the two works. The productions in which these species 

 of modern introduction were first described, have evidently not been 

 personally referred to by Mr. Stark ; and as it is said by him, that " in 

 " the collection and arrangement of the materials, every accessible source 

 " has been consulted," we can only regret that his opportunities have 

 been so limited, not only in this, but in every other department ; scarcely 

 a single original work of any modern Zoologist being quoted, except at 

 second-hand. 



" In the class of Birds Temminck has been taken for the guide ; and 

 " in addition to the European species described by that celebrated Orni- 

 " thologist, the characters, and at least one typical species, of all the 

 " extra-European genera have been given :" the latter being apparently 

 derived from the compilation of Mr. Stephens, which forms part of Shaw's 

 General Zoology. Mr. Selby's Illustrations of British Ornithology seems 

 to be the only recent original work which has been consulted in this de- 



