322 Distribution of the Vulturidce, FaJconidce, § Strigidce. [April, 



number, and in general they have not been drawn up with that care and 

 precision, and upon the system, now necessary, authors being content 

 in mentioning the mere occurrence of the species. In regard to the 

 birds of Britain, we have some good details in the works of Montague, 

 Yarrel, Fleming, Selby, Jenyns. Again the works of Temminck, 

 Naumann, Buhm, Berger, Gould, &c, afford us some valuable informa- 

 tion upon the birds of Europe generally. The ornithology of Asia has 

 not attracted the particular attention of any naturalist, at least we have 

 no complete work. In the writings of Horsfield, Raffles, Sonnerat, 

 Leschenault, Duvaucel, Diard, Sykes, Vigors, Franklin, Gould, Hodgson, 

 Dussumier, Belanger, Boie, Kuhl, Van Hasselt, &c., — some of whom 

 forfeited their lives in the pursuit of this their favourite study — we have 

 many valuable details. 



In regard to the birds of Africa, the works of Le Vaillant stand pre- 

 eminently forward, and which have increased much our knowledge in 

 this department ; but his researches are almost entirely confined to the 

 southern part of that continent. To Dr. Smith we are also indebted for 

 much valuable information, and we look forward with much interest 

 to his work, which is soon to issue from the press. Mr. Swainson has 

 added a little to our knowledge in regard to the birds of western 

 Africa, but there is still a vast deal to be done in this quarter. Rup- 

 pell has published some excellent observations on the birds of Nubia 

 and Abyssinia, and the ornithology of Egypt has been partially elu- 

 cidated by Savigny in his great work. 



To Australia the same remark applies. We have no complete general 

 work. From the writings of Brown, Lewin, White, Vigors, Horsfield, King, 

 Phillips, Lesson, Quoy, Gaimard, Poren, Lansdorf, Gould, much valu- 

 able information may be obtained. The last individual mentioned is 

 at present engaged publishing a work, illustrated with figures of the 

 heads of the birds of New Holland, and we hope soon to have a 

 complete Fauna from the same author, who is at present travelling 

 through that country in order to illustrate its zoology. 



The northern half of the new world has received much greater atten- 

 tion, and its ornithology is better known than any other continent 

 with the exception of Europe. For this we are indebted to the inde- 

 fatigable exertions of Wilson, Audubon, Prince Lucien Bonaparte, 

 Nuttal, Ord, Richardson, Swainson, Sabine, Ross, Douglass, Lich- 

 tenstein, &c. 



With regard to the ornithology of the southern continent of America, 

 we are lamentably deficient in information. From the writings of Spix, 

 Prince D'Neuwied, D'Orbigny, D'Azara, Swainson, some information 

 may be obtained. 



