ornithologist's text-book. 79 



parison with the accounts of Wilson ; but as to the 

 descriptions of such British birds as he has already 

 included in his Biography, they are as full and ac- 

 curate as can well be imagined. Look, for instance, 

 at his splendid biography of the Barn Owl * (Strix 

 flammea) ; in this it would be impossible to dis- 

 cover a single error. And can we imagine, with 

 all due respect to Mr. Waterton, that while the de- 

 scriptions of the British birds are thus precise, 

 those of the American species should be so griev- 

 ously erroneous ? For our own part, we perfectly 

 believe everything related by Audubon, and we 

 think that the Ornithological Biography will ever 

 hold a distinguished place on the shelf of the phi- 

 losophic Ornithologist. After the completion of 

 every volume of plates, a volume of letterpress ap- 

 pears, and we shortly expect great pleasure from 

 the perusal of the third volume, which is not yet 

 published. The intermediate pieces between the 

 description of every five birds, are also very de- 

 lightful, and may be considered as forming part of 

 the biography of its distinguished author ; thus 

 Audubon is carrying on his own biography, and 

 that of the feathered tribes of America at the same 

 time. We cordially recommend these invaluable 

 volumes to the perusal of all classes of readers. 



Gleanings in Natural History, with local recol- 

 lections ; by Edward Jesse, Esq. To which are 

 added Maxims and Hints for an Angler. A new 

 edition. 1832. Vol. IT, 1834. Vol. Ill, 1835. 

 small 8vo. London. £l. lis. 6d. 



* We think there can now be no doubt, as to the identity of the 

 American and European Bam Owl, as Audubon's account of this 

 bird tallies precisely in every particular with the habits and man- 

 ners which we have observed in the European species. 



