TRANSACTIONS OF'THE SECTIONS. 89 



paid gi-eat attention to this as to every other part of their fauna. The first volume 

 of Nilsson's 'Scandinavian Fauna' (40), published at Lund in 1S47, has long been 

 a standard book of reference on this branch of zoology. Much, however, has been 

 done since that period ; and in Prof. Lilljeborg's lately issued work on the Mam- 

 mals of Sweden and Norway (41), we have an exhaustive account of the present 

 state of our knowledge of this subject. 



As regards the few Mammals of Spitzbergen, reference should be made to the 

 second volume of Heuglin's ' Reisen nach dem Nordpolarmeer ' (42), where that 

 energetic naturalist has put together an accoimt of the nineteen species of Mam- 

 mals that penetrate so far north. 



B. Birds of Europe, 



a. Ewope generally. — There can be no question, I suppose, that the attractive 

 class of Birds has received much more attention than its sister-classes of verte- 

 brates in Europe, as generally elsewhere. Of late years especially a considerable 

 number of naturalists in almost every part of this continent have bestowed their 

 principal attention on Ornithology. Two journals are devoted solely to this 

 science — in which the larger nimrber of articles treat of the birds of some portion 

 or other of Europe. The mass of literature on the subject is large ; and I must 

 therefore be rather concise in my notices of the principal modern authorities that 

 should be referred to by an inquirer on European Ornithology. 



First, as to the Avifauna of the whole continent, Temminck's ' Manuel ' (4.''>) — 

 long the acknowledged authority upon this subject — was superseded in 1849 by 

 the issue of Degland's ' Ornithologie Europ^enne ' (44). The new edition of 

 this work, revised by Gerbe and issued in 18G7 (45), is perhaps now the 

 most complete book of its kind. But it has great faults and imperfections, 

 particularly as regards its indications of the distribution of the species. This 

 branch of the subject has never been properly worked out until the recent issue of 

 Mr. Dresser's (formerly Sharpe and Dresser's) 'Birds of Europe ' (40), which contains, 

 so far as it has hitherto progressed, by far the most exhaustive account of the 

 European Avifauna yet attempted. Its large size and numerous illustrations, how- 

 ever, render it rather cumbersome as a manual; but a handbook based on it when 

 completed, and containing a judicious abridgement of its iuformatiou, (which I 

 hope Mr. Dresser will not fail to prepare,) would, I am sure, form a most valuable 

 work. 



Fritsch's ' Naturgeschichte der Vogel Europa's ' (47), lately published at Prague, 

 is a cheap and useful manual for those who understand German ; while Gould's 

 ' Birds of Europe ' (48), though out of date, will be always referred to for its 

 illustrations. 



b. Birds of Great Britain. — For many years the standard book of reference on the 

 Ornithology of these islands has been YarrelFs ' British Birds,' and its several 

 Supplements (49). The new edition of this work, commenced in June 1871 by 

 Prof. Newton (50), is familiar, no doubt, to most of the Members of Section D. 

 As to its merits there can be no question ; I think it is seldom indeed that a task 

 is intrusted to one so thoroughly competent to perform it, or so careful in tlie 

 execution of what he undert.akes. But the slow progress of the work is appalling : 

 after four years only one of the promised four volumes has been completed. As 

 amongst the best of numerous local works on the Birds of this country recently 

 issued should also be mentioned Gray's 'Birds of the West of Scotland ' (51), and 

 Hancock's memoir on those of Northumberland and Durham (52). A very useful 

 work of reference for Ornitliologists is also Mr. Ilarting's ' Hand-book of British 

 Birds' (5-3), in which the exact dates and places of occurrence of all the rarer 

 visitants are recorded. Those who love life-sized illustrations, and have full 

 purses, will not fail to acquire (provided a copy is left) Mr. Gould's splendid work 

 on the Birds of Great Britain (54), now complete in five volumes. After this 

 enumeration it will be almost needless to remark that Ornithology has no reason 

 to complain of want of support in this country. 



c. Birds of France. — In France less attention has been devoted to the native 

 birds of late vears ; and besides the new edition of Degland's ' Ornithologie 



1875. ' S 



