Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/103

"From the year 1865 to the present, in connection with explorations undertaken on behalf of the Geological Survey of Canada, I have had unusual facilities for field observation, and have traversed the greater part of that portion of Ontario which may be described as lying between the Ottawa river and its sources, and the St. Lawrence and its great lakes, a region the interior of which is but thinly settled, and comparatively unknown; also a large part of the country lying to the northward of the Ottawa river, between the Lake of Two Mountains and Pembroke." The author further informs us that he considers that the Ornithology of Canada has received a very fair share of attention from naturalists both at home and abroad. In this opinion, however, we cannot concur, for at present Canada compares in this respect very unfavourably with the United States. We therefore welcome with pleasure this first instalment of a work on the birds of that country, for we trust that Mr. Vennor will receive such an amount of appreciation as will induce him to continue his publications on this interesting subject. He is properly impressed with the difficulties which always attend the production of an ornithological work in these days of multiplied synonymy and many books, which he does well not to force upon his readers, and he is not content with the mere descriptions of the birds, but he also brings forward the characteristic details of the whole order Raptores, so that this work would give any student a good general idea of the birds of prey. This is to our mind one of the great recommendations of the volume; but Mr. Vennor has not thoroughly succeeded in impressing us with the advantages of photographic illustrations for an ornithological work. As specimens of photography the plates executed by Mr. Notman are admirable, but the stuffed specimens which are photographed are very unequal in merit. For those, however, who are inclined to adopt this mode of illustration, we will quote, in justice to himself, the author's words, "On the Attitude and Form of the Birds figured":—

 

"These are points requiring a great deal of attention in the photographing of stuffed specimens, and respecting which I have already been brought to task by a few of my naturalist friends, to whom some of the plates were shown. My experience, however, among naturalists has been that no two agree as touching any position which may be chosen for a bird; and consequently no plates, no matter how perfectly executed, could please all. Besides I have invariably found that those who find most fault in