C 67 ] 



Mr. Briffon, in his Ornithology, pubiifhed at 

 Paris, A, D. 1760. has given a General Hiftory 

 of Birds, both as a compiler and an original au- 

 thor ; and I think it, in general, a very good and 

 ufeful work : but I find in it, what will happen 

 to every compiler that ha?:h not long and careful- 

 ly ftudied the fubjeéls he rreats of, viz. frequent 

 repetitions of the fame identical fpecies of birds 

 under different names, as they are defcribed by 

 different authors, which by him are defcribed in 

 feparate articles, as birds fpecifically diftindl 

 from each other ; by which means, I apprehend, 

 he hath greatly multiplied the fpecies of birds. 

 His Ornithology is now finiflied, which makes 

 fix thick volumes in quarto, with a great num- 

 ber of copper-plates, containing the figures of a 

 great number of new birds, altogether unknown 

 to me. They are engraved with great labour 

 and neatnefs ; tho' moft of them have a ftiff 

 air, as if drawn from dried or (luffed birds : but 

 in a work of this nature it is excufeable -, for it 

 cannot be fuppofed the hired operators had op- 

 portunity to fee and ftudy the fhapes and atti- 

 tudes of the fubjedls whilft living. Mr. Briffon 

 has confulted all the authors, whether natural 

 F 2 hiftorians 



