The Zoologist — November, 1871. 2821 



in Sussex, in Januaiy, 1845. These, with an immature specimen in the 

 Norwich Museum, killed at Zuverbroome, in Ross-shire, 1851, — probably- 

 one of those already included by Mr. Gray, — and a young male from 

 Scotland, in the possession of Mr. Gurney, junior, are all the British 

 examples which at the present time can be, with any amount of certainty, 

 referred to the Iceland falcon." — Page 46. 



It certainly is most obvious that a work which exhausts the sub- 

 ject in this manner, not only depreciates, but really almost renders 

 valueless, the three previous editions, which are now distributed far 

 and wide ; but who shall say that this is to be regretted ? We 

 cannot cling to that which is imperfect or erroneous, merely on the 

 plea that we have paid for it ; and we must never forget that each 

 author as he comes before us, puts us in possession of all the 

 information he possesses : thus Yarrell's third edition was better 

 than the second ; his second better than his first; and his first, in 

 its letter-press, infinitely superior to that which bears the honoured 

 name of Bewick on its title-page. Superior as Professor Newton's 

 edition is to all of these, it still, in my opinion, is susceptible of 

 further improvement. For instance, I should prefer having a more 

 distinct line of demarcation between the respective labours of author 

 and editor: thus, in the very outset, in the griffon vulture, the first 

 paragraph is Mr. Yarrell's ; the second paragraph is partly Mr. Yar- 

 rell's and partly Professor Newton's; and the third and several 

 following paragraphs are entirely Professor Newton's. This part- 

 nership will render it difficult to quote the work, or any passage 

 therein, as " Yarrell's" or " Newton's," and it will be necessary to 

 compare the third and fourth editions — a work of considerable 

 labour — before it can be ascertained to which ornithologist the 

 interesting passages about the griffon are to be ascribed. Again, in 

 describing the gyr-falcons, and I apply the terra collectively, 

 Professor Newton's admirable differentiation, which I have ex- 

 tracted above, will without doubt be cited as " Yarrell, 4th edit. i. 

 36" by those who lack either the patience or the means of 

 analyzing the text, yet it is in decided contravention of the 

 opinions Mr. Yarrell held on the same question. 



A word of caution also seems needful on the subject of exactness 

 in referring to chapter and verse when an extract is made from 

 another work. Mr. Yarrell was a most industrious, but not a suffi- 

 ciently careful, compiler: thus, supposing a reader desirous of 

 referring to Mr. Wilmot's admirable account of the honey buzzard, 



SECOND SERIES — VOIi. VI. 3 G 



