ornithologist's text-book. 87 



cuts are also well executed, and we recommend 

 the volume to all our young readers. 



Another little work, published at about the same 

 time, scarcely deserves a notice. — We allude to 

 the Minstrelsy of the Woods. The figures, which 

 may be had coloured or plain, are good, but the 

 letterpress is entirely copied from Bewick's British. 

 Birds, or from Griffith's Cuvier. 



British Oology ; being Illustrations of the Eggs 

 of British Birds, with Figures of [those of] each 

 species, as far as practicable, drawn and coloured 

 from Nature, &c, by W. C. Hewitson. In two- 

 monthly Svo. Nos., each containing 4 lithographic 

 prints. Newcastle-on-Tyne and London. Nos. 1 

 to 25. 



This is indeed an admirable work, and it was 

 certainly much wanted. The only illustrations we 

 before possessed of the eggs of British birds were 

 those of Lewin, in the Birds of Great Britain 

 (reviewed at p. 17), which are generally very indif- 

 ferent. All the figures in the British Oology are 

 drawn by the author, and coloured by Mr. J. Stand- 

 ish, in a very creditable manner. Where the eggs 

 of any species are subject to variety, two, and 

 sometimes three, specimens are given. We think 

 this a good plan ; for, although it considerably 

 extends the work, yet it would otherwise be impos- 

 sible, in many cases, to discover to what species an 

 unknown egg belongs. Beautiful and accurate as 

 are the figures, we do not so much admire the letter- 

 press; at least, what there is of it is good, but it is, 

 in most eases, too short. It would be an improve- 

 ment if Mr. Hewitson were to state that he would 

 publish whatever facts, regarding the nidification 

 of birds, his correspondents would send him, under 



