ORNITHOLOGICAL BICLTOGUAPHY. 
203 
whose primary object is to ascertain the name and his- 
tory of a bird with which he is ™acquamtei Before 
the Rreat reform in the nomenclature of this swence 
commenced by the iUustrious Illiger, and introduced into 
r country long afterwards the 
Dr Latham was the universal text-book. Y 
volumes of the Genera/ Zoology of Dr. 
ahrid-ed from the Synojmx, and completed from other 
authok On 
man^of The modern genera were then 
ticularlybythe latter, who also ^ 
birds fibred in the more recent publications, ‘"“YL 
dering ^e work, upon the whole, far more useful fo 
S,v pu,po«i if ,f f.,»f. .1." Ik' 
,Vvnon.vk or the more recent IMory of Bird^. D 
ations, however serviceable, partake more mat! 
faults already alluded to ^'hp’ orimnal de- 
ters of doubt, recourse must be had to the ori„ 
script on! and figures contained in the authors from 
whom these general ornithologies have been compiled. 
The mere English reader must content himself with 
these • but, however poorly onr own language is supphed 
with work! of this class, that of France is much richer. 
The Manuol of M. Lesson, notwithstanding the de- 
fects in its arrangement that have hem charged upoYL 
is certainly the best Comyendium of inodern ornYo- 
logy the student can possess. Most of the geimra ere 
■ published arc briefly characterised, and it is a most use- 
ful index to the new species figured in *e 
continental works which are above the purchase of the 
generality of students. In both these respec . , 
give the preference to the Mnimel rather * omi. 
Traite de Urnithologie of the same writer. i 
thological portion of the EnyclopHie Mil lo ^ • 
much more extensive and valuable work , i ’ 
in fact, descriptions of all the species then o® ’ 
III I violllnt who IS himself 
ranged under the genera of M. Vieiliot, w 
