THOMAS BEWICK. 



them as partaking entirely of the nature of land birds." One of the tail-pieces 

 depicts a man reaping — a composition which, from the openness of the view 

 and the variety of the country represented, is very favourable to a much 

 larger size of picture. The Dotterel shows the cheery, contented, yet self- 

 conscious animal in its best features. The Ring Dotterel is another bird 

 which is decidedly aware of its consequence, and it is succeeded by the last 

 engraving in the volume, that of a feather, executed from a marvellously 

 minute water-colour drawing made by Bewick. The last page of the first 



The Partridge. " The History of British Birds," Vol. I. 



volume of the third edition of the Birds has frequently an advertisement 

 of the Quadrupeds, and sometimes it is a blank. 



In 1798, no doubt because the sale proved large, a further impression of 

 the volume was printed, consisting of 207 in imperial 8vo, 669 in royal 8vo, 

 and 750 in demy 8vo.* Though printed and published a year after the 1797 

 edition, they bear the date 1797, and do not carry any words on the title- 

 page to show that they are later. They may, however, easily be distinguished 

 from the first by a slight difference in the title and in the preface, as well as 



* These were advertised in the Newcastle Chronicle for August 25th, 1798, as follows:—" 'History of Birds.' 

 The public is respectfully informed that a few copies of this work are just printed on a wove imperial paper at one 

 guinea each. Super Royal 18s., Fine Thick Royal 15s., Royal 13s., Demy 10s. 6d. Printed for R. Beilby and 

 T. Bewick, and sold by them and all booksellers." A similar advertisement appeared in the London Morning 

 Herald of October 10th, 1798 : in this the figures are said to have been " engraved by J. Bewick." 



