2922 Notices of New Books. 



notice of my readers as aptly filling a place in our Natural-History 

 shelves which was previously vacant. 



3. Our British Warblers* 



The Nightingale seems the most slender of our British birds : it is 

 readily distinguished by the brilliant yellow of its beat, and the 

 snowy whiteness of its throat, breast, and belly ; there is also a clear 

 and distinct circle of white round its eye, and a large well-defined 

 spot of equal purity on each side of the neck : the rest of the plumage 

 is of a lead-colour, inclining to blue. Such is the nightingale de- 

 picted by Mr. Gilks, and although it does not harmonize with our 

 preconceived, and perhaps prejudiced, ideas of the appearance of this 

 celebrated songster, yet it is a figure of graceful proportions and pleas- 

 ing appearance ; and will answer the purpose of those who buy and 

 read this class of books, quite as well as if the artist had ever seen or 

 depicted the nightingale of nature. The Goldfinch, Blackbird and 

 Skylark, are more like portraits, although not flattering ones ; and it 

 is evident the designer has seen the birds, or representations thereof; 

 and also that he has* not transposed the names. Turning from the 

 illustrations to the letter-press, T may truthfully state that the compiler 

 has collected a great deal of poetry, has quoted it correctly, and ap- 

 pears to have invariably applied it to the bird for which it was in- 

 tended. 



4. Treatment of the Honey Bee.\ 



That this little volume should have reached a fourth edition is a 

 very satisfactory proof that it has found favour with the public. It 

 has the several merits of being cheap, compact and explicit : the nu- 

 merous woodcuts, moreover, with little or no pretension to artistic 

 skill, aptly and clearly illustrate the text. 



Edward Newman. 



* Favourite Song Birds, being a popular description of the Feathered Songsters 

 of Britain, Edited by H. G. Adams. With a coloured illustration, designed and litho- 

 graphed by Edward Gilks. London: Orr, 1850. 



f The Bee-keeper's Manual, by Henry Taylor. Fourth Edition. London : 

 Groombridge, 1850. 



