THOMAS BEWICK. 



183 



employed ; but no one has given us the true living bird, as has been done 

 in these volumes by Thomas Bewick. 



The work was divided into two great parts, Land Birds and Water Birds. 

 The latter was not published until 1804; but the first volume, being the Land 

 Birds, appeared on October 7th, 1797. The edition consisted of 24 copies on 

 imperial 8vo paper at 21s., 850 each on thick and thin royal 8vo at 15s. 

 and 13s., and 1,000 on demy 8vo at 10s. 6d. each.* 



The Introduction is headed by the famous design of the English farm- 

 yard, a representative engraving, being a foretaste of what the reader may 

 expect in the pages following, and well fitted to preface a work on British 

 Birds. The Table of Contents is headed by a print of a heavily laden pedlar, 

 with many miles yet to travel ; and at the end of the same is a figure said to 

 be Bewick himself when on his travels in Scotland. 



It is not possible to name each bird or vignette separately, as a large 

 volume could be filled with details of the inexhaustible merits of the 

 designs. It will be sufficient to point to any interesting matter in connection 

 with them. 



" In order to recognise one of Bewick's Birds, the naturalist is not compelled, 

 however rapidly, to go over the inventory of his characteristics — to compare the 

 greater or less coverts, the quills primary or secondary — to glance at the contents 

 of his tail, or ascertain the length, breadth, or thickness of his bill. The bird, 

 whether rich or rare, is before him, and he recognises it as he would the living 

 original. In the best of Bewick's landscape sketches, much of the same wonderful 

 precision is unquestionably to be found. It is difficult to study them attentively 

 and not arrive at the conclusion that many of them are literal transcripts of that 

 which existed, altogether or in part." t 



The first figure represents the Golden Eagle, a beautiful engraving, giving 

 all the characteristics of the magnificent bird at a glance ; the work " leaps 

 to the eye," a complete representation of the king of birds. The Sea Eagle, 



* Except when otherwise stated, the numbers of copies printed are taken from Bell's Catalogue, 1851. 

 t "The British Quarterly Review," vol. ii. 1845, P- 5 6 9- 



