The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 550, June 2, 1832

Оглавление

Various. The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 550, June 2, 1832

RARE ARCTIC BIRDS

THE ARCTIC, OR WHITE-HORNED OWL,

THE COCK OF THE PLAINS,

SONNET

MRS. HEMANS

MASSENA'S TOMB

THE WRITINGS OF BURKE

THE SELECTOR; AND LITERARY NOTICES OF NEW WORKS

BRITISH WARRIORS

SPANISH CHARACTERISTICS—BY WASHINGTON IRVING.6

MANNERS & CUSTOMS OF ALL NATIONS

ORIGIN OF EPSOM RACES

SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY

POTTERY.11

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS

THE WAVERLEY NOVELS

THE GATHERER

Отрывок из книги

THE WHITE-HORNED OWL

LEGS AND FEET OF THE MOUNTAIN GROUSE.

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The last overland expedition to the Polar sea, under the command of Captain Sir John Franklin, was peculiarly fortunate in the collection of objects of natural history, which indeed were too numerous for the limits of an appendix, such as had appeared with the narratives of previous expeditions. Hence the number of the specimens warranted their publication in a separate form, under the able superintendance of Dr. Richardson, surgeon and naturalist to the expedition, aided by Mr. Swainson. The great expense of the requisite embellishment of the ornithological portion, however, threatened a formidable obstacle to its completeness; but this was met by a liberal grant of one thousand pounds by the British Government, to be applied solely towards the expense of the engravings—the present being the first zoological work ever published with the sterling assistance of His Majesty's Treasury. The first part of this truly great national work appeared some time since, with 28 spirited figures of Mammalia, from drawings by Landseer; the entomological and botanical parts are preparing for publication; and that of The Birds, (to which we are indebted for the annexed Cuts,) has very recently appeared.1

Dr. Richardson, with zealous attachment to his pursuits, passed seven summers and five winters surrounded by the objects he has described with such fidelity. He is, therefore, not a mere book naturalist, but he has studied the habits and zoological details of the living animals; Mr. Swainson having assisted the Doctor in the systematic arrangement and production of the plates. Their descriptions include all the birds hitherto found over an immense expanse of country of the 49th parallel of latitude, and east of the Rocky Mountains, which lie much nearer to the Pacific Coast than to the eastern shore of America: many of these birds being, for the first time, made known to ornithologists. We have selected two of the most singular in their conformation: one from the Owls, which are numerous and beautiful; and the other from the Grouse, of which ten fine species are described.2

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