98 f Birds of Europe not observed in the British Isles * 
ornithology, that we have been so careful to correct the errors 
that have crept into it, in spite of the time and labour, of which 
the author has not been sparing in devoting to his task. We 
therefore entreat Mr. Bree to take in good part all we have said; 
we can honestly declare that we are prompted by no ill-feeling 
against him. If our censure has been plain -spoken, so also has 
been our praise; and praise of a very high degree he merits. 
There is one point of view especially from which Mr. Breeds 
work deserves every encouragement. 
Many, we hope all, real naturalists (and here we use the word 
in a restricted sense) have seen with great pain the late insen¬ 
sate rage for acquiring specimens of natural history, especially 
of so-called “ British ” birds. These are in most cases amassed 
from the mere amor habendi. No use whatever is made of 
them; our knowledge of the purposes they were designed, when 
in life, to fulfil, is in no way advanced by nine out of ten of the 
collections of British birds, which now are so commonly formed. 
On the contrary, it is greatly retarded, as the destruction of 
every curious and uncommon bird of course diminishes the op¬ 
portunities of observation, and collections on this plan, or rather 
this want of plan, tend to encourage the knavish more than the 
honest dealer. Now it must inevitably slacken the demand for 
these “ Bare British Birds,” if collectors will extend their so¬ 
licitude to foreigners. We shall cease to hear of enormous 
prices taken or refused for a Bock Thrush or a Cream-coloured 
Courser which may happen to have been killed in this country, 
and which really ought to have no greater intrinsic value on 
that account. The advantages of strictly local collections are 
not to be denied, but they are chiefly discernible with respect to 
common indigenous species, A good series of specimens show¬ 
ing the constant distinctions to be found between individuals 
from different localities of any of our most plentiful species, say 
the Yellow Bunting or the Bed Grouse, would be in every way 
much more interesting than a collection containing many high- 
priced stragglers from foreign lands. It is in this manner we 
believe that science can be most benefited. Herein we claim 
Mr. Bree on our side. Some years ago he recorded, in the pages 
of the ‘ Zoologist 5 (1849, p.2524), opinions nearly identical 
