202 ornithologist's text-book. 



same at his own expense, I gladly avail myself of 

 his liberality. 



" Taking the list of our British birds, as he has 

 done, at 300 (beyond its utmost limit), and allow- 

 ing it possible to obtain the eggs of the whole 

 (which, as every Ornithologist must be well aware, 

 is totally impracticable), I must protest against his 

 review as being anything but fair. The British 

 Oology was commenced in April 1831, and with 

 the March number of the present year (1836), 155 

 species will have been figured ; the remaining 145 

 could not, therefore, by any calculation, spin out 

 the work longer than the 1st of January 1841. I 

 trust, however, long ere so many years of our lives 

 have passed away, to take leave of my subscribers, 

 and thank them for their many kindnesses. 1 am 

 fully aware that the work has not gone on as regu- 

 larly as I at first hoped, and that many delays have 

 arisen — in the first place by my absence from home, 

 in search of rarities for its pages, and in the second 

 from my inexperience as a publisher. By my own 

 calculation, however, the work will be concluded at 

 a much earlier period. Of the 145 species which 

 remain, I fear there is no chance of procuring the 

 eggs of one half, at the utmost. I would, however, 

 most gladly decrease the number of species who&e 

 eggs must remain unfigured, and for that purpose 

 have requested the aid of my subscribers, on the 

 cover of my recent Nos., where a list of my desi- 

 derata is also given. No exertion on my own part 

 shall be spared to render the work as complete as 

 possible. 



" From what I have said, it will be seen that 

 the work, instead of lasting till 1842, will be com- 

 pleted by the close of 1837. 



" To the other faults pointed out by Mr. Wood, 

 with regard to classification. I must plead guilty. 

 At the beginning of the work Temminck's arrange- 



