EDITORIAL GLEANINGS. 235 



" The first work which brought the artist's name prominently before 

 the scientific world was Ruppell's ' Systematische Uebersicht der Vogel 

 Nordost Afrikas,' published in 1845, in which some fifty African birds are 

 depicted in attitudes which contrast strongly with the stiff and unnatural 

 positions in which previous artists were wont to portray their subjects. We 

 look upon these illustrations as instituting the renaissance period in 

 ornithological drawing. In 1850 appeared Temminck and Schlegel's 

 quarto volumes on the fauna of Japan, which, with Wolf's coloured plates, 

 still constitute one of the best illustrated works on natural history. Quickly 

 following this came Schlegel's grand * Traite de Fauconnerie,' in folio, with 

 life-size portraits by Wolf of all the Hawks employed by falconers. Each 

 one of these is a study which deserves attention. 



"The late Mr. G. R. Gray's standard work, in three volumes quarto, 

 on the 'Genera of Birds,' a copy of which cannot now be obtained under 

 £30, was partly illustrated by Joseph Wolf, in consequence of the accept- 

 ance of a foreign appointment by the late Mr. Mitchell, the former secretary 

 of the Zoological Society, who had been working at it jointly with Gray. 



" Those who are familiar with the magnificent folio works of Gould on 

 the 'Birds of Asia' and the ' Birds of Great Britain ' will recognize in; 

 many of the life-like coloured plates the handiwork and talent of Joseph 

 Wolf; while the same remark will apply to Elliot's grand volumes, also in 

 folio, on the Pheasants, Birds of Paradise, the Birds of North America, and 

 the Felidce or Cat family. 



"More than half a century ago the Zoological Society of London, 

 recognizing Wolf's extraordinary talent in depicting animal life, secured 

 his services to illustrate their periodical publications, and from that time 

 forward the ' Proceedings ' and ' Transactions ' of the Society have teemed 

 with the life-like productions of his pencil. Visitors to the picture gallery 

 over the reptile hou9e at the Zoological Gardens can scarcely fail to have 

 been struck with his remarkable ' Zoological Sketches,' which were produced 

 under the auspices of the Society, and there adorn the walls. In the 

 numerous coloured plates which have illustrated the 'Ibis ' from the com- 

 mencement of that quarterly journal of ornithology in 1859, we have 

 another example of the artist's wondrous skill in the delineation of birds. 



" We may pass over the many large works, both in oils and water- 

 colour, which have passed from the easel to the private cabinets of those 

 who know well how to appreciate them, because, although we have had the 

 privilege of seeing many of them, the public have had no opportunity, as 

 with the exhibited works of other artists, to judge of their merits. We 

 may remind our readers, however, that numerous works on sport and 

 natural history have been entirely illustrated by Joseph Wolf. Of these 

 we may name Anderson's 'Lake Ngami,' Livingstone's 'Missionary 



