﻿MODERN ORNITHOLOGICAL WRITERS. 199 



few exceptions, the birds of Europe* are now arranged 

 under their modern genera. The same may be said of 

 those of North America, with the exception of those 

 figured by M. Audubon, whose nomenclature is alto- 

 gether obsolete. We hope to accomplish the same 

 object in regard to the birds of Brazil, Western Africa, 

 and Australia. A portion of the latter, indeed, have 

 been well illustrated, and correctly named by M. Hors- 

 field and Vigors. Then, in regard to general species, 

 the little volume of M. Waglert is highly valuable; for 

 not only does its author confine himself to such species 

 as he has personally examined, but he rectifies the errors 

 of his predecessors, and refers to their modern groups 

 all such species as have been improperly associated with 

 the genera he has investigated. A considerable number 

 of the birds figured in the Planches Colorrees of M.M. 

 Temminck and Logier, have been placed in their 

 modern groups ; but by far the greater part, particularly 

 the Raptores, the Columbidce, Psittacidce, Picidce, Mus- 

 cicapidce, Sylviadce, MerulidcE, and Trochiiidce, are 

 left in their family, rather than in their generic station. 

 In concluding this short but comprehensive survey of 

 the present state of systematic ornithology, we feel 

 much gratification in perceiving that the principles 

 advocated in a former volume \ are widely and rapidly 

 gaining ground, and that a British school of zoology 

 may be said to be already founded. The science has 

 been taken up by several who possess that union of 

 natural and cultivated talent, hitherto so rarely met 

 with in writers of our own country. It is at length 

 perceived that zoology is no longer a study of names, 

 or of crude technicalities — that no honour is to be 

 reaped by the invention of artificial systems, or even 



* W c cannot allude to this portion of geogrnphic ornithology without 

 adverting to the beautiful and even masteily figures in Mr. Gould's work 

 on the birds of Europe. It is only necessary to compare the drawing and 

 execution of these figures with the most costly works of a similar descrip- 

 tion recently published on the Continent, to show the decided superiority 

 of the British school of zoological painting over all others of the present 

 day. 



f Species Avium. t Preliminary Discourse. 



o 4 



