233 
On the whole, we cheerfully give the meed of approbation to this beautiful, 
scientific, and-moderate-priced series of ornithological illustrations, and hope to be 
able to welcome it, as its future volumes appear, with undiininished favour, to its 
termination. Nevertheless, in some respects, we think there might be a little 
improvement. The manners and habits of the birds, when known, might be more 
enlarged upon than they now are, many being very short and meagre. Ample 
space might be found for this in the curtailment, if not entire omission, of the 
biographies. Raffles and Rewick, indeed, we might submit to, and the portrait 
and memoir of the latter prefixed to the Parrots is interesting. But then Re wick 
had nothing to do with Parrots ; and to have to wade through a hundred and 
twelve pages of a memoir of Aristotle, and eighty-two of Pliny, prefixed to ac¬ 
counts of the gallinaceous birds, is more than we could venture on ; we have not 
had pluck to attempt it, and our copies remain uncut on these particulars. In 
fact, this savours rather too much of the “ make-weight” system, and in future 
we hope will rather be honoured in the “ breach” than in the observance. This 
we conceive not to be the place for long biographies, especially those of the eyeless 
ancients, whom we know where to find if we want them; though perhaps a pithy 
sketch of, and a look at, such bird -lovers (not fanciers) as Rewick, Wilson, or 
Audubon, is not to be objected to. We should, however, be sorry to say a word 
disparaging to so interesting and spirited an undertaking as this is, requiring, of 
course, an extensive sale to remunerate its projectors ; we only wish its useful and 
attractive powers to he developed to the utmost possible degree. 
EXTRACTS FROM FOREIGN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS. 
Entomological. 
Abstract of Dr. Erichson’s Systematic Distribution of the 
Rostrichid.®, (Bark Beetles). 
(From Wiegmanns “ Archiv fur Naturgeschichte” Istes. heft, 1836 .) 
The Bostrichidce constitute a portion of Latreille’s Xylophaga ; but as this 
group consists of very heterogeneous materials, they have less affinity with any 
other genus of that tribe than with the Curculios. Cis, however, from the struc¬ 
ture of its mouth, may be allied to the Bostrichidce , but from which it still widely 
differs by its tetramerous tarsi. The apparent affinity of Apate with the Bostri- 
2 H 
VOL. I. 
