Herr Badeker’s and Dr. Brewer’s Oological Works. 413 
and, if we were, this is not the place to discuss the question; but 
we must record our belief that the case of the separatists is not 
strengthened by the evidence adduced by our author. . 
As a set-off to this, we must give the Doctor all praise for, in 
most cases, resisting the strong temptation by which some 
naturalists are often overcome, to erect into species those races 
of birds, permanent though they be, which, by more general 
consent, are on good grounds supposed to represent the same 
creation in both Old and New worlds. It is true that the opposite 
course, which also has its strong advocates, of taking no heed 
whatever of the differences which may exist between these regional 
varieties, is greatly to be blamed, and it appears to us that the 
via media is the safest road to travel, duly considering that local 
differences do not of necessity make specific distinctions. Thus, 
though we are far from considering the Golden Eagles of Europe 
and North America as otherwise than specifically identical, we 
highly applaud Dr. Brewer’s declining to figure an egg of the 
former race in default of one of the latter. We have said that 
our author, in most cases, is free from a species-making inclina¬ 
tion ; but there are exceptions, such as the Eish-Hawk and Short¬ 
eared Owl of America, which he regards as indubitably distinct 
from their European pendants; and, with regard to the former, 
complains of the “ unaccountable persistence in error ” on the 
part of some English naturalists, not one of whom, we venture to 
assert, ever quoted “ extracts written exclusively in reference to 
the American bird ” without mentioning the source of the in¬ 
formation, a fact alone sufficient to guard against any chance of 
mistake. Dr. Brewer remarks that “ in their habits the European 
and American birds are much more decidedly different than in 
their own markings or in those of their eggs,” and proceeds to 
particulars, most of which are questionable, as, for instance, that 
the bird from the Old World “is found only in solitary pairs,” 
and “ rarely builds on trees,” but “ sometimes on the ground 
among reeds,” though it “ almost uniformly resorts to rocky 
cliffs to breed.” The fact has not been sufficiently considered, 
that the habits of birds, as of men, vary according to the cir¬ 
cumstances in which they are placed, such as the facilities of 
getting food or lodging. It is no more rational because the 
