47 
REVIEWS OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
A S^^nopsis of the Mirds of Australia and the adjacent Islands, By JoHJl 
Gould, F. L. S., &c. Part 1. London; published by the author, 20, Broad 
Street, Golden Square. Jan. 1837. 
Having elsewhere repeatedly been called upon to speak in terras of the highest 
admiration of the valuable and splendid works of Mr. Gould —^especially his 
Birds of Europe— 'WQ are well nigh at a loss to know how to express our opinion 
of the commencement of his new work, now before us. However, we will do our 
best to convey to our readers an idea of its plan and aim, and of the manner in 
which they are executed,—A figure, natural size, of the head of each bird is given, 
with, occasionally, the rest of the body supplied in outline, and in some cases we 
have the tarsi and wings. The letter-press consists of descriptions, in Latin and 
English, of the species, with synonyms, &c., and the habitat. These accounts are 
short but pithy, and will at once serve to point out to the student the species to 
which the Australian birds which may happen to be in his collection belong, and will 
supply the requisite information relative to birds before unknown to him. We 
could have wished to have heard some particulars of the habits of our feathered 
friends in Australia; but of these, we fear, too little is at present known to furnish 
much matter of interest or importance.—With regard to the plates, they leave 
nothing for us to desire. For accuracy and vigour of delineation, we consider 
them unrivalled; and on the score of beauty, we verily believe this work would 
prove no mean ornament on the lady’s drawing-room table. They are executed 
with the practised hand of a master ; and we particularly admire the representa¬ 
tions of the genus Malurus^ where the heads are finished as usual, and the rest 
of the bodies sketched in a light and excellent style. The colours, too, are as 
judiciously and accurately laid on as we could desire, and Mr. Gould has not 
failed even where the tints are most brilliant and difficult to obtain the fresh-^ 
ness and vividness of Nature. The first part of the Birds of Australia includes 
forty-five species, and each succeeding publication—to appear quarterly—will 
contain about the same number, the whole to be completed in from "six to eight 
parts. We hope to receive this excellent work regularly, and shall in that case 
take an early opportunity of announcing its progress. 
Contribution to a Natural and Economical History of the Coco-nut Tree. By 
Henry Marshall, Deputy-Inspector General of Army Hospitals. 8vo. p.p. 
32. Edinburgh; John Stark. 1836. 
This unpretending pamphlet, appearing in almost too modest an attire, is rich 
in the store of interesting facts it has collected together; and Mr. Marshall, 
combining his own observations in Ceylon with the remarks of various authors 
