CORRESPONDENCE. 
481 
true”; and, though mentioned last in these notes, it is impossible for any bird to 
exceed it in beauty. It is a young bird, scarcely full-grown, but in fine plumage, 
and belongs to some of our summer visitants, but to which it is “ %aAs7rov bittbiv." 
Doncaster^ September, 1837. 
CORRESPONDENCE, 
Which are the Best Works on Geology ? 
To the Editor of the Naturalist. 
Sir, —At p. 359 I perceive your correspondent Mr. Han way makes inquiries 
relative to publications on Zoology and Botany. I feel certain that a catalogue 
of the kind mentioned by Mr. H. will be of much use to many of your readers, 
as it once would have been to me. Therefore I may probably take an early 
opportunity of transmitting you the required list, though only upon condition 
that you do not receive any other communication on the same subject. Now 
an Englishman must, as all the world knows, turn every thing into a bargain; 
and, wdth a view of keeping up this ancient and venerable usage, I take the 
liberty of requesting that either you or some one of your contributors will, in 
return, furnish a similar account of the principal geological works. I am ac¬ 
quainted with the writings of De La Beche, Lyell, Buckland, &c., of which I 
have been led to think very highly. I am particularly desirous of becoming 
acquainted with the labours of French, German, and American authors in this 
interesting branch of science. 
I may observe, that I possess a tolerably extensive library of Natural History, 
and therefore hope to make my intended list tolerably complete. As regards 
periodicals and transactions of societies, I think it will be amply sufficient to 
mention the titles of the most important of these, without alluding to any of the 
numerous and often admirable papers they contain. 
On Magazines of Natural History, and Transactions of Societies. 
If we may be allowed to judge by the number of societies which publish trans¬ 
actions, these publications must succeed very well. There appears, unfortunately, 
to be a much smaller demand for magazines devoted to Natural History. The 
Zoological Journal., Rennie’s Field Naturalist., and the Zoological Magazine^ all 
perished early. The Naturalist would probably have ceased to exist long ere 
this but for your “ enterprising spirit”; the Magazine of Zoology and Botany is, I 
