268 History of British Birds. 



in the originals, — and here, as in the case of similar imitations, we 

 desiderate their freshness, and dislike the misplaced quaintness of ex- 

 pression. It appears trifling, while the meaning is by no means dis- 

 tinctly conveyed. The incidental remarks and digressions liberally 

 dispersed through the volume, (often totally irrelevant to the sub- 

 ject, see p. 125,) are sometimes expressed scarcely with a kindly 

 feeling, and seem to show an inclination to undervalue the opinions of 

 others when a unison of ideas cannot be found. 



This book is composed of two parts : The first, introductory ; the 

 second commences the history of the birds themselves belonging to 

 four of the orders, which our author has thought necessary to form 

 on principles of his own, and which are " doubtless excellent and ad- 

 mirable in the eyes of their inventor." 



The introductory portion * contains, first, " remarks on classifica- 

 tion and nomenclature," and " samples" of systems are given in out- 

 lines of those of Linnaeus and Vieillot. Next follows an exposition 

 of our author's own system. This is " primarily divided into four 

 groups, sections, or sub-classes, determined by their mode of life," and 

 they come in the place of the familiar divisions of " land and water 

 birds."t They are, I. Aerial birds, Aves Aerise or Volitorise ; II. Ter- 

 restrial, Aves Terrestres or Ambulatorise ; III. Amphibious or wading, 

 Aves Littorales or Grallatorise ; IV. Aquatic birds, or Natatorise. 

 These again are separated into no fewer than Nineteen Orders, each 

 section containing four, except the second, in which seven have been 

 placed. We cannot consider this system more simple or comprehen- 

 sive than many of its predecessors, and we do not think the nomen- 

 clature improved by the introduction of sectional or generic titles, 

 such as, Volitatores, Deglubitores, Raptatores, Palpatores, &c. or 

 in another language, of Plunderers, Cooers, HusTcers, Gropers, 

 Probers, &c. &c. ; but " methods spring up and die like mushrooms, 

 and for the same reason ; they are composed of flimsy and unsub- 

 stantial materials easily elaborated." J 



Of the concluding part of the introduction, " Remarks on the 

 structure of birds," we have a higher opinion. It is a subject interest- 

 ing from the little attention which has hitherto been given to it, par- 

 ticularly in this country, and from the great importance which the 

 knowledge of structure is in our generalizations upon the func- 

 tions of the different parts, and the economy and habits of the indivi- 

 duals. This part, though short, is well done. The anatomy is con- 



* Introduction, p. 15. f Ibid, p. 16. \ Ibid, p. 19. 



