ASIATIC ORNITHOLOGY. 
253 
reason to know, are so very extensive as probably to 
equal those of Le Vaillant, and we believe that imme- 
diate steps will be taken, ujion his return to England, to 
make them known to the world : many of the new spe- 
cies, indeed, have already been published. The collec- 
tor, therefore, who goes to the Cape cannot expect to 
meet with many novelties, although he may procure 
a number of species. If, however, at some future time, 
the peaceful state of the CafFre country will enable him 
to explore the tracts beyond the Great Fish River towards 
Natal, he will enter upon new ground. It seems strange 
that we know so little of the ornithology of the immense 
island of Madagascar, at least collectively, seeing that it 
is proverbially rich in animals, and that intelligent in- 
dividuals, both French and English, have long resided 
there. We should certainly recommend this country 
as one which promised many novelties, both among the 
land and sea birds. We have omitted to mention, that 
the birds of Egypt have been described and figured by 
Savigny in that splendid national work which records 
the French expedition into that country, but its enor- 
mous price renders its publication almost useless to 
science at large. 
(213.) The regions of Asia have been very un- 
equally explored. Those under the dominion of Russia 
were visited by Pallas, and many new and peculiar 
species were described by him ; they cannot, however, 
be incorporated in our modern systems, for few of 
them are figured, and none described, with that minute- 
ness which will enable us to refer them to their natural 
groups. The ornithology of Central Asia, and almost 
of China, is scarcely known, and there is no prospect 
of much additional information arising. The Chinese, 
however, are a clever and a thrifty people. They have 
made the collecting of insects for the Eurojiean market 
a regular branch of trade, — why may they not be in- 
structed and encouraged to do the same with birds ? 
We think those English gentlemen, residents at Macao, 
who are attached to natural history, would do well to 
