A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.

  • Montagu, George, 1751-1815.
Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [COLONEL MONTAGU’S] INTRODUCTION. The variety of publications on Ornitliology are as extensive as instructive ; but the difficulty of discovering any particular species in the works of an author, where the bird is called by a different name from which it may be pro- vincially denominated, has, we conceive, been a preventive to a more enlarged investigation of that part of the Natural History of our country. To persons well acquainted with the generic characters the difficulty may not be so great; but the general part of mankind might wade through volumes before they w’ould find the object of their inquiry. For such persons, therefore, who are desirous of being better acquainted with the most beautiful part of the animal creation, we have published the following Dictionary of British Ornithology, in hopes of advancing knowledge on the subject. Of the various writers on British Ornithology the public are particularly indebted to Mr. Pennant, who has not only been diffuse on the subject, but has given a great variety of excellent figures. The last edition of the ‘British Zoology ’ is replete with information, and far exceeds the bounds of anything written before on the subject of English birds. Since which the ‘ General Synopsis of Birds,’ published by Dr. Latham, has added much new light to this branch of history ; which, together wdth his ‘ Index Ornithologicus,’ is a masterpiece of erudition and knowledge. But these are too extensive and too complex for the more confined part of the science or study of British birds, and too expensive for general use. These considei'ations have induced the author to lay before the public this work, which is at once calculated to give every information on the sub- ject, to render the study more easy, and to be not only within the reach of most persons’ pockets who are capable of scientific researches, but that it will be found an index to all the English works of credit on the subject in general use, as well as to many of the best authors in other languages. It has been our intention to confine this work within as small a compass as possible, in order to render it more portable ; at the same time we have been sufficiently diffuse in the description of each species, as well as in the natural history belonging thereto. There are, however, some general remarks, which could not be so well placed in the alphabetical order of tliis work ; and as they are such as ought not to be omitted, we have thought proper to throw them into the form of an Introduction. In respect to the anatomy of birds we confess ourselves not sufficiently qualified to enlarge upon the subject; we shall, however, point out some sin- gularities in the formation of particular species, which may add to the illus- tration of Ornithology. First, then, the stomach of birds forms them into two natural distinct zootomic classes : those with cartilaginous stomachs, covered with very strong muscles, called a gizzard; and those with membranaceous stomachs, more