The Mute Swan. " The History of British Birds," Vol. II. 



CHAPTER XX. 



"THE HISTORY OF BRITISH BIRDS," VOL. II. 1804. ("WATER BIRDS.) 



^HE second volume of the " History of British Birds," being the Water 



Birds, did not appear until August, 1804, or nearly seven years after 

 the publication of the volume on Land Birds. As mentioned in the suc- 

 ceeding chapter, Beilby and Bewick dissolved partnership as from January 1st, 

 1798, and thus the latter was left to pursue or abandon his scheme for the 

 publication of a complete history of the British feathered creation. Bewick 

 wisely decided to proceed, and while the exercise of having both to design 

 the figures and write the descriptions told severely on him, yet he steadily 

 persevered, and though he published it so many years after the issue of the 

 other part of the work, it sold quite as readily as the first volume. 



