funt, ut ferramentum lapidis; Syria in tempus fempiternum, ore laus dum celebrabit illum profecto tutela tua perennabit." From the Monumens Antiques Inedits of Monf. Millin, (Vol. I. pl. VIII. and IX.) our author gives a long infcription in a dialect refembling the Chaldaic: it is taken from a very curious ftone found near the ruins of the Tauk-i-Kefra, or palace of Chofrocs, in the vicinity of Ctefiphon, and brought to Europe by Citizen Michaux: it contains, according to Mr. Lichtenstein, a nania, or funeral address from a prieft of the Sabeans, or ancient Perfians, to the women who had lately loft their hufbands, fons, or brothers. Of this infcription we shall transcribe the firft column, (page 112.) "Edi&um meum ad vos, filiæ cipporum (parentatrices) "Obfervatur infortunium, pungit cogitatio fovere ad apertiones "periodicas (cipporum) "Imo tempus manumiffionis (funt) difceffus noftri ad patres "noftros," "Quando ad manfiones firmas findit fepulcra noftra "Vis exercituum potentium, generationis æternorum. "Delemur hora ATZAPHATH matris HAKEMIt, Patris reliqui exercitus potentium. "Vivificabimur per voces refurre&ionis, "Que emancipabit nos in manfionem non circumfcriptam. "Procul a terroribus noxæ dilatæ, "Procul ab ira Deorum, "A tartaro Orci torvo adfpectu conterentis te. "Exacuit terrores in adverfitatibus noftris. "Adfpergens acetum difpenfat medicinam. "Exercitus potentium feparat. "Iidem profecto quoque refufcitant vitam noftram. "Quin immittit vifitationem jacturarum mortalibus. "Edam nunc epitomen epicediorum; leges fingulatim." On one of the Babylonian bricks, Mr. Lichtenftein difcovers in an idiom, nearly Arabic, the following words, (page 136.) "In te confidimus, namque tu creafti nos omnes; o Deus fanctiffime, veraciffime! Propitius fis nobis, namque in te (reponitur) fides: fatia nos: nutri nos: namque tu creafti nos omnes.” *The Aramean name of a female Divinity, called by the tribe of Coreish in Arabia, Afaf. Vide Golii Lexic. Arab. p. 101. An imaginary being, from whom our author thinks it probable that the Deity of the Drufes may have derived his name. And on an alabafter of Count Caylus, four words, which we here present our readers, as a fpecimen of the arrowheaded characters explained by the equivalent Hebrew letters, (page 138.) •YŸ<Y • TŸ#<Y• «WY • —Y # א ח י א "Rex protegit Aramæos fratres!" He then The reader will perceive in this fpecimen, that our author reads thofe infcriptions, in arrow-headed characters, from right to left, like Hebrew or Arabic, in which he differs from Wahl, Grotefend, and other learned men. proceeds to explain Phoenician infcriptions from Pococke; and, on the fubject of fome Pehlvi legends of Saffanian medals, he propofes an emendation (which, however, we cannot readily adopt) of M. de Sacy's reading and interpretation: and he concludes this work with fome obfervations on the dialects which the modern Parfis or Guebres confider as the genuine Zend of ancient Perfia, but which, in the opinion of Mr. Lichtenstein, is a mere farrago of different languages. This volume is ornamented with four copper-plates; and the author, confident of having difcovered the true Persepolitan alphabet, has had a fet of moveable types very neatly executed, in which all the infcriptions and paffages fcattered through the Tentamen are printed, and with which, we truft, Mr. Lichtenftein's next publication will induce us to become more intimately acquainted. ART. IX. The Hiftory of British Birds. The Figures engraved on Wood by T. Bewick. In two Volumes 8vo. Vol. I. containing the Hiftory and Description of Land Birds; Vol. II. the Hiftory and Defcription of Water Birds. The firft Vol. 10s. fmall Paper, 13s. large. The fecond 12s. fmall Paper, 15s. large. Longman and Co. 1797. 1801. WE take the opportunity of the appearance of the fecond of thefe volumes to notice the first also, which, by fome fome accident, had been omitted*. It would, however, be altogether fuperfluous to expatiate much on the merits of a work, which, by the propriety of its defcriptions, the characteristic truth of its figures, the fpirit of its wood engravings, and the very ingenious and entertaining variety of its vignette ornaments has, without the aid of critics, united all fuffrages in its favour. Mr. Bewick follows the Linnean arrangements, and by confining himfelf to British Birds, has been enabled to comprife the whole, in the very convenient general divifion of land birds and water birds, giving a volume to each. In the advertisement prefixed to the fecond volume, we have an account of the fources from which the work has been derived, which our leaders will doubtlefs be glad to perufe. "The editor of the fecond volume of British Birds, having now brought his work to a conclufion, haftens to acknowledge his obligations to the public for the favourable reception of his former labours; and to exprefs his thanks to thofe fportfinen and lovers of natural history, who have fo liberally contributed to the completion of this work. When the Hiftory of British Birds was first undertaken, the fplendid mufcum of the late Marmaduke Tunftall, of Wycliffe, Efq. was obligingly thrown open by his nephew, Francis Sheldon, Efq.t with the kindest offer of the ufe of its abundant ftores. During a refidence of nearly two months at that little earthly paradife-the fecure afylum of its feathered vifitors, which were fuffered by the late benevolent owner to pick up their daily pittance unmolefted-drawings were taken from the ftuffed fpecimens of moft of the British fpecies, and many of these were afterwards traced and engraven upon the blocks of wood; but in the progrefs of the work, fo many both dead and living fpecimens of the birds themfelves, (to which ftuffed fubjects commonly bear only an imperfect refemblance) were furnished by the patrons of the work, that the neceffity of ufing feveral of thefe drawings was fuperfeded by this more near approach to perfect nature. In addition to thefe refources, the voluminous folios of the celebrated Count de Buffon, containing one thousand and one (Planches Enluminées) coloured prints of birds, &c. were kindly lent to aid the work, by Michael Bryan, of London, Efq.; thefe, like an index, were conftantly at hand to be referred to, and compared with the birds themfelves, which were from time to time prefented to the editors of both volumes, *The pleafing and elegant work on quadrupeds, by the Bewicks, has unaccountably shared the fame fate in our pages. + Now Francis Constable, Efq. of Burton Constable, in Holdernefs. and were often of great fervice, by enabling them to afcertain the names, and to identify each species, in an examination of the fubjects before them, when compared with the figures and doubtful nomenclature of other ornithologists. "Notwithstanding thefe helps, the figures of feveral birds are ftill wanting; but, however the editor regrets the deficiency, he is well aware that is to be attributed to the difficulties the sportsman meets with in coming at many of the thy inhabitants of the ocean, and of the pathlefs mifty marfh. The time fpent in endeavouring to procure thefe defiderata, and other unforeseen obftacles, have checked the progrefs of this work, and muft apologize for the delay of its appearance to fo lengthened a period after the Hiftory of the Land Birds." Advertisement, Vol. II, P. iv. We have enumerated the fpecies thus omitted, and find them amount, in the fecond volume, to 43. This number, however, bears only a small proportion to those which are given. There are fome omiffions alfo in the former volume, but those we have not reckoned. We fhall give a fhort fpecimen from each volume, to fhow the manner of the author, At the head of each genus is (ufually) given a general character of it, and fo allo of each order and class: befides a general and fenfible introduction to each volume. The ac Count of the Wookpeckers, in vol. I, partly taken from Buf fon, is well worthy of notice. "THE WOODPECKERS, "Of these only three or four kinds are found in these kingdoms. Their characters are ftriking, and their manners fingular, The bill is large, ftrong, and fitted for its employment; the end of it is formed like a wedge, with which it pierces the bark of trees and boughs, into the wood, in which its food is lodged, Its neck is fhort and thick, and furnished with powerful muscles, which enable it to ftrike with fuch force as to be heard at a confiderable distance; its tongue is long and taper; at the end of it there is a hard bony fubftance, which penetrates into the crevices of trees, and extracts the infects and their eggs, which are lodged there: the tail confifts of ten ftiff, fharp-pointed feathers bent inwards, by which it fecures itself on the trunks of trees while in fearch of food; for this purpofe its feet are short and thick, and its toes, which are placed two forward and two backward, are armed with strong hooked claws, by which it clings firmly, and creeps up and down in all directions. M. Buffon, with his ufual warmth of imagination, thus defcribes the feemingly dull and folitary life of the woodpecker. Of all the birds which earn their fubfiftence by fpoil, none leads a life fo laborious and painful painful as the woodpecker. Nature has condemned it to inceffant toil and flavery. While others freely employ their courage or address, and either fhoot on rapid wing, or lurk in clofe ambufh, the woodpecker is conftrained to drag out an infipid exiftence, in boring the bark and hard fibres of trees to extract its humble prey. Neceffity never fuffers any intermiffion of its labours, never grants an interval of found repofe; often during the night it fleeps in the fame painful poffure as in the fatigues of the day. It never shares the sports of the other inhabitants of the air, it joins not their vocal concerts, and its wild cries and faddening tones, while they disturb the filence of the foreft, exprefs constraint and effort: its movements are quick, its gestures full of inquietude, its looks coarfe and vulgar; it fhuns all fociety, even that of its own kind; and when it is prompted to ask a companion, its appetite is not foftened by delicacy of feeling*." Vol. I. p. 114. From the fecond volume we are inclined to give the account of that fpecies of Swan, which is fupposed to have given rife to the fables of antiquity, relating to the vocal powers of the Swan. The bird is fo fcarce in this country, that it is one of those which are not here delineated. "WILD SWAN. "The Wild Swan measures five feet in length, and about seven in breadth, and weighs from thirteen to fixteen pounds. The bill is three inches long, of a yellowish white from the bafe to the middle, and thence to the tip, black: the bare space from the bill over the eye and eye-lids is yellow: the whole plumage in adult birds is of a pure white, and, next to the skin, they are cloathed with a thick fine down; the legs are black. "This fpecies generally keeps together in fmall flocks, or families, except in the pairing feafon, and at the fetting in of winter. At the latter period they affemble in immenfe multitudes, particularly on the large rivers and lakes of the thinly inhabited northern parts of Europe, Afia, and America: but when the extremity of the weather threatens to become infupportable, in order to fhun the gathering ftorm, they fhape their courfe high in air, in divided and diminished numbers, in fearch of milder climates. In fuch feafons they are moft commonly feen in various parts of the British ifles, and in other more fouthern countries of Be it faid, without offence, that this quotation from Buffon gives an excellent fpecimen of the perfect nonfenfe frequently written by that eloquent Frenchman to adorn his book, and by many readers admired. Calling that a painful pofture which is natural to the animal, and thofe employments drudgery, which doubtless conftitute the great delight of its life, Rev. |