Abstract
THE excellent illustrations and brief descriptions of British birds published in the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle met with such a favourable reception, that the author has considered it advisable to reproduce them in book-form. And in their new guise they form a volume which can scarcely fail to be acceptable to readers with limited purses, since, while every species is figured, the published price of the work is only five shillings. Neither can it be said that the volume is “cheap and nasty”; the type being clear and good, and the illustrations for the most part of high merit. Perhaps, indeed, they lack the pictorial elegance of photogravures, but as good specimens of wood-engraving they leave little to be desired; and there are many reasons why that style of illustration should not disappear from works of natural history. In many respects Mr. Duncan appears to be a disciple of Bewick; and in the case of the cuckoo (p. 142) so closely has he followed his master that his figure is merely a reversed replica of the original cut, with some additional details of surroundings. Generally, however, the figures are original, and they are often in advance of those of Bewick.
Birds of the British Isles.
By John Duncan. Pp. xvi + 448; illustrated. (London and Newcastle: Walter Scott, Ltd., 1898.)
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
L., R. Birds of the British Isles. Nature 59, 148 (1898). https://doi.org/10.1038/059148c0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/059148c0