ORNITHOLOGY IN 1850. 
Zoology of Richardson and Swainson, to the Zoology of the Erebus 
and Terror, improperly permitted still to remain uncompleted; 
Fraser’s Zoologia Typica; Gray and Mitchell’s Genera of Birds; 
the extensive works of Mr, Gould, so successfully carried on for 4 
long series of years, all these testify that patronage for works of this 
kind is not wanting while there are many other works of less 
pretension, which show us that a demand does exist, Still we con- 
sider the really working men are very limited; there are a, good 
many gentlemen scattered over the country who take an interest 
in Ornithology, particularly of any thing that may occur among our 
native birds, and there are a few sportsmen who preserve what 
occurs to themselves or their friends; but we mean, that there are 
very few who possess or are forming extensive general collections, 
or who, by keeping pace in their libraries or correspondence, are 
aware of the “ present state,” or what is daily adding to our 
knowledge. Lord Derby is an excellent patron of Ornithology, and 
whatever enters his large collection is at the service of science. 
Mr. Edward Wilson has made yery extensive collections for his 
brother in America, and which are kindly made available to 
before they leave this country. George Robert Gray continues suc 
cessfully to work out the resources of our great national collection ; 
but with Ourselves, Hugh E. Strickland, 'T. C. Eyton, and Mr. Gould, 
are almost if not solely, the only other persons actively engaged 
in this science. Three of the latter only, possess extensive and 
increasing general collections and libraries; but to these we hopé 
we may now add P, L. Sclater, of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, 
who has commenced his collection, and is now working out some 
groups with great exactness. 
Among the ornithological works now in progress, or that have 
been completed during the past year, those of John Gould may be 
stated as the most extensive and important. That gentleman com 
menced his career as an ornithologist many years since, and with 
the assistance of Mrs. Gould, an ornithological draftswoman of first 
rate eminence, completed the Birds of Himalaya, Birds of Eurep® 
the greater portion of the Birds of Australia, and several mon 
graphs, all in a style of excellence and completeness, that places 
them at the head of works of this class. During the present ye 
one of the previous monographs has been completed, another has 
been commenced, and an entirely new work has reached its se¢? 
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