INTRODUCTION. 
79 
work, but too general for the British student, and 
now very little known. Advancing farther, in 
1766 Pennant’s British Zoology was published, 
bearing more of the character of an illustrated 
work, for which descriptions were more amply 
furnished in later editions of a lesser size. This 
work cleared the discrepancies of many of the 
synonims, and hinted at the cause of confusion in 
others which could not then be ascertained by 
examination or experiment. In 1789, “ The Birds 
of Great Britain,” by William Lewin, was com- 
menced. It is a quarto book, was published in 
numbers, and professes to give a figure of every 
species. The plates are etchings, probably done 
by the author, in many instances shewing good 
drawing, though in general they are careless ; 
birds are figured, however, which may be use- 
ful in assisting to make out what were really 
described by some of the authors previous or about 
the same period, under such titles as Lanner, 
Spotted Falcon, Grey Falcon, Grey Eagle, &c. 
Figures of many eggs are also given. The 
descriptive part is written in French and English, 
but is very short, and enters into none of the 
doubtful or difficult points of ornithology. Within 
a few years of the same period, (about 1799*) two 
works of a more decidedly illustrative character 
began to be published — Donovan’s and Graves’ 
British Birds. They appeared in periodical 
