166 THE ORNITHOLOGICAL GUIDE. 



A History of the Rarer sjjecics of British Birds ; by T. C. EYTOX, 

 Esq. Longman & Co. Parts I and II, 8vo. 3s. fid. each. 



Mr. Eyton, the author of this work, some time ago 

 announced his intention of completing Bewick's 

 History of British Birch by publishing figures of 

 such species as were omitted either through accident 

 or necessity in the 6th edition (1826) of that work, 

 and the present publication is the fulfilment of that 

 promise. The two first numbers are now before us ; 

 the third and concluding one we have not yet seen. 

 The Alpine Abern, with which the work begins, 

 although not so handsome a looking bird as that in 

 the 1832 edition of Bewick, is, we suspect, truer to 

 nature, and certainly appears to have none of the 

 characteristics of the Vulture-family. The Red- 

 legged Falcon is prettily done, but it has not the 

 firmness and decision of air of Bewick's Falcons. 

 The Blackthroated Redstart is a nice wood-cut, but 

 if the Firecrested Kinglet is a faithful representation 

 of the species, it certainly cannot remain in the 

 genus Reguhts. The body is far too long, and the 

 character of the spruce little Kinglets is by no 

 means discernible in this unfortunate attempt : it is 

 curious that Bewick himself failed in the same 

 genus. The Shore Lark and the Mealy Linnet are 

 excellent representations : the latter was till lately, 

 thought to be a mere variety of the Redpoll Linnet. 

 The Whitewinged Crossbill fCrucirostra leucop- 

 tera) is a showy cut, but whether it is a correct one 

 or not we can scarcely judge. 



