ornithologist's text-book. 49 



He has given a synopsis of the systems of the 

 following authors :— Linnaeus, Brisson, Latham, 

 Lacepede, Dumeril, Meyer, Illiger, Cuvder,Vieillot, 

 Temminck, Blainville, Vigors, Latreille, Blainville 

 (developpee par M. Lherminier), besides a "pro- 

 jet de classification desoiseaux" by Lesson him- 

 self. The descriptions in this work are short and 

 accurate, and, had the author included all the 

 birds then known, it would indeed have been a 

 useful Manual to the Ornithologist. Lesson has 

 succeeded very well in the French names of birds, 

 generally giving a distinct French generic appel- 

 lation to each genus, thus rendering the science 

 far more simple, and, consequently, its acquisition 

 easier. 



Magazine of Natural History, and Journal of 

 Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Geology, and Me- 

 teorology; conducted by J. C. Loudon, F.L., G., 

 and Z. S. Longman and Co. London. 1828 — -1835. 

 8 vols. 8vo. 



The Magazine of Natural History was the first 

 English Journal devoted to the natural sciences, 

 except the Zoological Journal, and deserves a 

 special notice in a Work on the rise and progress 

 of Ornithology, as there can be but little doubt 

 that it has conduced more to this end than any 

 work that has hitherto appeared in the English 

 language. The number of new and interesting 

 facts contained in each volume is immense, and 

 the only fault we find with the work is, that we 

 can never cast our eyes over the index, in looking 

 for any particular head, without finding a dozen 

 interesting facts referred to, which it is almost 

 impossible to pass over without perusing; and 

 thus we frequently lay the volume on the shelf 



