The Zoologist — November, 1871. 2813 



A History of British Birch, hy the late William Yarrell, 

 V.-P.L.S., 8)C. Fourth Edition, revised by Alfred Newton, 

 M.A., F.R.S., &c. London : Van Voorst. 1871. 



There are few books on the birds of Britain so familiar as the 

 'History of British Birds, by William Yarrell.' In the days of our 

 childhood we had Bewick and Montagu ; the first appealing to the 

 eye, the second to the understanding ; the first the delight of young 

 and old, of learned and unlearned ; the second delightful only to 

 the man who had already mastered the plan, who had grasped the 

 general idea of the subject, and who had made an outline 

 map of the country in his mind, but required some one to fill 

 in the mountains, and lakes, and rivers, and towns. Both works 

 are very precious, but Bewick's will be the more enduring. Of 

 Montagu it may be said that no one regards the work as per- 

 fect; it does not profess to be so; there is a hidden excelsior 

 for which all are striving ; and no one felt this more acutely 

 than Montagu himself, or struggled to attain it more assiduously : 

 witness the bulky "Supplement" and "Appendix," containing 

 no less than 472 pages, and published in 181.3, the "Dictionary" 

 itself having made its appearance in 1802, eleven years pre- 

 viously ; and the author candidly admits, at the later date, that 

 " There yet remains much to be done in order to complete the 

 history of the birds of Great Britain." In contrast with this, no 

 aspiration of authoi', no vanity of critic, however inordinate, thinks 

 of improving Bewick. The art of drawing and engraving on wood 

 seems to attain perfection under his master hand, and while the 

 labours of George Montagu, and indeed of every writing naturalist, 

 gradually become less valuable, because of the daily additions to 

 our knowledge, those of Thomas Bewick have increased and con- 

 tinue to increase in value as old Time pursues the even tenor of 

 his way. But if Montagu requires supplements and appendices 

 and editorial additions, what shall be said of Bewick's letter-press, 

 or rather of the letter-press which bears his name ? It would be 

 the greatest compliment that could possibly be paid to this match- 

 less artist to divorce the letter-press from the illustrations, and 

 allow the former to sink into oblivion. "Jane Eyre," that original 

 thinker, that just appreciator of excellence, exclaims, "I only 



second series — VOL. VI. 3 F 



