Recent Ornithological Publications. 103 
their farms and fields, but would not care to bestow similar 
favours upon figures of the inhabitants of distant parts of the 
Continent. When the large capital invested in the production 
of Mr. Gould's work is considered, and its great importance in 
extending the national taste for natural history is fully esti¬ 
mated, it must be obvious that the author is bound, not only 
in justice to himself, but also in the interests of science, to use 
every legitimate method of extending its circulation in this 
country. 
Mr. Gould has, we believe, as yet issued no prospectus of his 
‘ Birds of Great Britain/ but we understand he intends to 
publish two parts every year, at the price of three guineas a part, 
and that he hopes to be able to bring the whole work to a con¬ 
clusion in about eight or nine years. Each part contains fifteen 
plates, with the accompanying letter-press. In our notice of the 
expected appearance of the work appended to our last Number, 
we stated that Mr. Gould was devoting more than usual care 
and attention to the production of these illustrations. We think 
it will be allowed by all who are acquainted with the general 
character of illustrations to works on natural history that, in 
his ‘ Birds of Great Britain/ Mr. Gould has not only surpassed 
others, but, with the assistance of his fellow-artists, Messrs. Wolf 
and Richter, in some of the portraits of our familiar species of 
birds given in his two first numbers, has fairly surpassed him¬ 
self. Those who can afford to spend a small annual sum for 
the next eight or nine years in acquiring a work which must, as 
regards illustrations, inevitably become and remain for many 
years the standard of reference of all British ornithologists, can¬ 
not do better than subscribe to Mr. Gould's ‘ Birds of Great 
Britain/ 
2. French Publications. 
M. L. Maillard’s recently issued work upon Reunion*, as the 
French now term the Island of Bourbon, contains some details 
on the ornithology of that island, which it is interesting to be 
able to compare with what we know of the Avi-faunas of Mau- 
* Notes sur Pile de la Reunion (Bourbon). Par L. Maillard: Paris, 
1862. 8vo. 
