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O'Connor (C.) Rerum Hibernicarum Scrip

TORES veteres, quibus Editor præfixit: de Fontibus Historiæ genuinæ Hibernorum, eorumque Chronologia, deque antiquissimis Codicibus literis Hibernicis ante æculum X Sexaratis; Græcorum et Romanorum Testimonia, itemque S. Patricii Epistolæ, Ficci Hymuus, et Gilda Modudii Carmen de Regibus Hiberniæ; domesticorum Annalium chronologica rationes, etc. 4 vols. 4to. facsimiles of Irish MSS. boards, rare, £32. Buckinghamiæ, 1814-26 Privately printed at the expense of the late Duke of Buckingham. Only 200 copies were issued, and these for presents. One or two copies have been sold in the last few years at constantly rising prices. The O'Connor copy, 4 vols. in boards, sold recently at Dublin for £105.

The expenses incurred by the Duke of Buckingham, for the researches and for the printing of these four volumes, exceeded the sum of £3000.

The work consists of the original Irish texts, with Latin translations, of the Hiberno-Celtic MSS., formerly in the Library of Stowe, but now added to the literary treasures of Ashburnham House, near Hastings, the Earl of Ashburnham having purchased the whole of the Stowe Collection of MSS. Dr. O'Connor refrained from inserting any work which had already been printed, and the entire series may be said to consist of important additions to the history and antiquities of Ireland, most of which were only previously known to us by name. Therefore, "Whether we consider the learning of O'Connor, the value of the materials, or the princely munificence of the Duke of Buckingham, at whose expense it was produced, it is without a parallel in modern literature.”—Sir F. Palgrave, Rise of the English Commonwealth.

The painful interest attaching to recent Irish history demands that the oldest historical texts should be studied by scholars who are desirous to trace to their real source the anomalies and dissensions of to-day. The extreme rarity of old Irish MSS., especially those of historical character, is notorious; and their contents can only be examined together in this collection.

Omar Khayyam and Jami.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, the Astronomer-Poet of Persia, rendered into English verse; fourth edition; SALAMAN and ABSAL, an allegorical Sufi poem by Maulana Nur ud Din Abd ur-Rahman bin Ahmed JAMI, in English metre, with a notice of Jami's life, second edition, 2 parts in 1 vol. post 8vo. pp. xv and 112, hf. Roxburghe, 10s 6d Bernard Quaritch, 1879

The attraction which these remarkable poems exercise over persons of taste is so great that three editions (not inclusive of unauthorized reprints) have been exhausted. The above authorized fourth edition is now ready for sale.

"Mr. Fitzgerald does not aim at completeness or literal correspondence with the original; in quantity it is but a cento, in quality a paraphrase. In saying this we are not raising an objection, but merely stating a fact. Mr. Fitzgerald has done what the finest textual criticism and the most uncompromising devotion to literal accuracy could never accomplish: he has reproduced the thoughts of the Persian poet in English poetry, not merely in versified prose. Omar Khayyám is, we believe, the only Oriental poet who has been thus worthily represented. Others have been done into fair verse translations, but of none save Omar can it be said that the translation stands by itself as true peetry.

"We believe Mr. Fitzgerald's version to be unapproachable in poetic feeling, and scarcely less in perfectness of form.

"Fitzgerald's delightful selection."-The Academy, April 22, 1882.

Ordnance Survey Publications:

FACSIMILES OF THE NATIONAL MSS. OF IRELAND, edited under the direction of the Rt. Hon. Sir E. Sullivan, Master of the Rolls in Ireland, by John T. Gilbert, Part IV, 1, thick royal folio, introduction 86 pp. 60 plates of Facsimiles of Charters, Royal Letters, Heraldic and Genealogical Documents, the miniatures of the originals being reproduced in gold and colours, and each having explanatory text, hf. morocco, £5. 58

Nearly ready, price £3. 3s.

NEW ORNITHOLOGICAL WORK,

BY MR. BOWDLER SHARPE, will be completed in 6 parts, with 12 coloured plates, five parts are now ready.

THE BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA,

BY

E. L. LAYARD, F.Z.S., &c., H. B. M. CONSUL AT THE FIJI ISLANDS.

NEW EDITION,

THOROUGHLY REVISED AND AUGMENTED BY

R. BOWDLER SHARPE, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c., &c.,

ASSISTANT IN THE ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, BRITISH MUSEUM.

The first edition of Mr. Layard's work on the "Birds of South Africa" has long been exhausted, and before leaving England for Fiji he entrusted all his MSS. to Mr. Sharpe, to bring out a second edition of the work. Notwithstanding the success of the first edition, which was written in South Africa, and which has done more to advance the Ornithology of a country than any other work ever written (Jerdon's "Birds of India" excepted), the Editor has been compelled to alter the plan of the work, and to extend the boundaries of the country treated of. This is more in accordance with the original idea of the author, who had intended to write a regular work on the whole of the South African Birds, but limited his northern boundary to the 28th parallel of latitude in deference to his friend, Mr. Andersson, who was going to publish a large work on the Birds occurring north of that boundary. In the new edition, therefore, Mr. Sharpe proposes to include all the species found in South Africa between the Cape Colony and Benguela on the west, and the Zambesi on the east coast, this country forming his Subregio capensis and having natural boundaries. As far as is possible this work will be made a companion volume to Captain Shelley's "Birds of Egypt," and will be illustrated by twelve plates by Mr. Keulemans.

BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA-continued.

Since Mr. Layard's book was written, much additional information has been collected by naturalists and travellers in South Africa respecting the birds of that vast region, which has resulted not only in the identification of numerous species not included in Mr. Layard's original list, but also in the rectification of the synonymy of species described by him, but then imperfectly known.

The ensuing part (the sixth) will complete the work, in which Mr. Sharpe proposes to include all the species of birds found in South Africa, between the Cape Colony and Benguela on the west, and the Zambesi on the east coast, this country forming his Subregio capensis, and having natural boundaries. This is about double the area dealt with by Mr. Layard in his original work, and thus some idea may be formed of the labour bestowed by Mr. Sharpe in the preparation of this new edition.—The Zoologist, July, 1882.

Coloured Illustrations of Australian Birds.

Diggles' Companion to Gould's Handbook;

or SYNOPSIS of the BIRDS of AUSTRALIA, containing nearly one-third of the whole, or about 220 examples, for the most part from the original drawings, by Silvester Diggles, in 2 vols. imp. 4to. 123 plates containing 224 figures, beautifully coloured, with descriptive text, half red morocco, gilt tops, £16. 16s 1877

Seeing that the magnificent work of Mr. Gould, on "The Birds of Australia," so completely supplies every want of the Ornithologist in this particular direction, it may be thought that any other work is superfluous; but copies of Mr. Gould's Ornithology are so difficult to procure, and their price is so far beyond the means of any but the most wealthy, that the Author of the present publication deems any further reasons for the necessity of a second work unnecessary, as he desires to place within the power of all who wish to obtain it, an accurate and useful book of reference, at as low a cost as will allow of its being published in a creditable

manner.

The Author's impression is, that, whenever practicable, life-size pictures of birds are most desirable, as tending to convey a more accurate idea than those on a reduced scale, and it will be his aim to represent the majority of the Austrialian Birds the size of life. The form in which the work appears (imperial quarto) precludes his giving a complete portrait of many of the larger Birds; but as much of each bird is figured as will enable any one to identify the species represented, especially as the accompanying letterpress describes the Bird in full, with the important addition of careful measurements. From four to six of the smaller Birds (most of which are complete figures) appear on one plate, and thus are favouraby situated for comparison.

The assistance of several practical Ornithologists have been kindly given, among whom may be named Charles Coxen, Esq., M.L.A., and Mr. Eli Waller, of Brisbane, from whose fine collection the greater number of the Birds in this work has been figured; also Mr. Cockerell, of Brisbane, whose large and valuable collection was of the greatest service, and was the means of furnishing the author with a number of new and interesting species; Mr. White, of Reed Beds, near Adelaide, S.A.; Mr. Waterhouse, of the South Australian Museum; the late Mr. Stapleton of the Northern Territory, S.A.; the late Mr. Rawsley, who kindly lent the unique specimen of his bower bird, which he felt justified in naming after him; Messrs. Krefft, Masters, Ramsay Gulliver, &c.

Giving as this work does, an assortment of the whole-or, more precisely, of about one-third of the avi-funa of Australia,-any one possessing "Gould's Handbook" (published in 2 vols.) will have material in his possession to guide him in the discovery of any bird therein described. In the index will be found, with rare exceptions, the names used in the folio volumes of Gould, which are also carefully preserved in his Handbook; and the Author deems it very inadvisable at present to make such changes in the nomenclature as appears in both the Handbook and the Sydney Museum Catalogues.

A few recently discovered birds will not be found in the Handbook, but such will be found, accurately described, in the short letterpress description appended to every plate in this Synopsis. This work is quite unknown to English Ornithologists; it was published by subscription in the Colony, and received a medal at the Intercolonial Exhibition of Victoria, 1866-7.

Only ten copies remain for sale; these will soon be caught up, and then it will be impossible to get the book at any price.

Ornithology:

DUCK TRIBE, ILLUSTRATIONS of the, nine plates by Sir W. Jardine, E. Lear and P. J. Selby, 4to. 5s

LIST OF NAMES: Anas Carolinensis, by P. J. Selby-Anas Rafflesii, by J. StewartAnas Specularis, by E. Lear-Cyanopterus Fretensis, by E. Lear-Anus Tadornoides, by Sir W. Jardine-Rynchapeis maculatus, by E. Lear-Fuligula dispar, by P. J. SelbyOidemia perspicillata, by P. J. Selby-Cygnus Bewickii, by P. J. Selby.

ELLIOT (D. G.) MONOGRAPH of the PHASIANIDE, or Family of the PHEASANTS, 2 vols. impl. folio, 81 coloured plates by Wolff, Keulemans and Smit, unbound, £50. New York, 1870-72 EYTON'S OSTEOLOGIA AVIUM; or, a Sketch of the OSTEOLOGY OF BIRDS, by T. C. EYTON, F.G.S., F.L.S. Complete with all the Supplements, in 1 vol. 4to. 185 plates and descriptive letterpress, an important Ornithological Work, published at £10. 1s, in parts, now offered, half bound morocco, for £5. 58

1867-75

***A few copies of the Supplement II, Parts 1 and 2, 24s each; Part 3, 10s, may still be had to complete sets.

[SHARPE] AND DRESSER'S History of the Birds of EUROPE including all

the species of the WESTERN PALEARCTIC REGION, 7 vols. royal 4to. complete in 84 parts, 650 coloured plates, a subscriber's copy, £52. 10s 1871-81

Shelley's Sun Birds: A Monograph of the

NECTARINIIDÆ, or Family of Sun-Birds, by Captain G. E. SHELLEY, F.Z.S., F.R.G.S., etc. author of "A Handbook to the Birds of Egypt," etc. 4to. 120 coloured plates (cost to subscribers, £12. 12s), unbound, £10. 10s

1881

In the present work the author has treated only of the Nectariniidæ, or true Sun-birds leaving for a later period the consideration of the other forms which link these birds with the large group of the Honey-suckers. To a great extent the scope of this Monograph is similar to that of the little volume on Sun-birds published in 1843 by the late Sir William Jardine in the Naturalist's Library, which work, for many years the best authority on the subject, is now out of date, owing to the number of species that have been described since the above-mentioned year.

For some time past the author has been engaged in collecting the material for a Monograph of these beautiful birds; and having enjoyed the opportunity of studying them in a state of nature in Western and Southern Africa, he has made a description of their habits one of the special features of his work.

Neither time nor expense have been spared to render the plates as true to nature as possible, thus to do justice to the gorgeous and metallic plumage with which the birds are adorned. The author cannot, however, but congratulate himself on having secured the efficient hand of Mr. Keulemans for the execution of the plates, and this gentleman's position as a natural history artist will be a guarantee that this branch of the work has been ably performed. Like the author' Mr. Keulemans has also studied Sun-birds in a state of nature, and is therefore acquainted with their characteristic mode of life.

There is no occasion to dilate on the beauty of the family. The Humming-birds, which they so much resemble in appearance, are the only members of the feathered tribes which can approach them in brilliancy of plumage; they have often been called the Humming-birds of the Old World.

The present Monograph is now complete and has been issued in twelve guinea parts, containing 121 magnificently coloured plates and over 500 pages of letterpress, forming a handsome royal 4to. volume. It contains figures of fifty-two species which had never hitherto been illustrated, and comprises ten species new to science.

The first hundred pages are devoted to the Classification, Geographical Distribution, and a Review of all the Literature that bears upon the subject; the remainder of the work treats of the species separately, ending with an Index.

Only 250 copies have been printed, and for most of these subscribers' names have been already received, so that very few remain for sale. Before long it will be very difficult to obtain a copy at any price.

Poole's Index to Periodical Literature, brought down to January, 1882, edited by WILLIAM F. POOLE, Librarian of the Chicago Public Library; and WILLIAM J. FLETCHER, of the Watkinson Library, Hartford, Conn., and the co-operation of the English and American Library Associations, very thick imperial 8vo. of nearly 1500 pages, including many hundreds of thousands of references to nearly every conceivable subject under the sun, cloth (published at £3. 13s 6d), £3. 38 Boston, 1883 "The very appreciating notices the book has had in England have been very gratifiying to me. We shall keep it up with Annual Indexes, enlarging the field covered, and these will be condensed into five-year Supplements."-The Author.

Pooley (Charles, F.S.A.) Notes on the Old

CROSSES OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE, sm. 4to. coloured frontispiece, 12 plates in tinted lithography and 65 woodcuts, by O. Jewitt, cloth antique, 188

1868

"As memorials of the past from which we are day by day receding, we instinctively attach ourselves to every link, however humble, that connects us with it; and surely as notice of these relics of antiquity which after a lapse of five hundred years or more yet remain to remind us of the not unimportant part they bore in the development of the great ecclesiological epoch of the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, cannot be deemed unworthy of preservation.”—Preface.

Pooley's Descriptive Account of the Old

STONE CROSSES OF SOMERSETSHIRE, 1 vol. roy. 8vo. xvi and 188 pp. map, 20 tinted plates and 181 woodcuts, cloth antique, 36s

1877

"The wealth of this County in ancient Crosses is due to its having been the seat of, presumably, the earliest Christianity known in Britain. To Glastonbury and its traditions must we look for that ecclesiastical influence which pervaded Somerset, and which has left to us a rich heritage in these ancient landmarks of our faith.

"The Crosses of which I have been able to obtain information exceed in number two hundred, many of them being of great beauty and historical interest, and ranging from the early Saxon times to a date comparatively recent. They may be chronologically grouped into epochs corresponding to the probable periods of their erection.”—Preface.

Sanctioned by the Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council on Education, South Kensington Museum. Portfolios of Industrial Art: 41 parts, folio, all published, 82 plates, in gold and colour, £4. 4s

1881-83

This series of Photo-chromolithographic representations of various examples of Industrial Art, chiefly selected from the South Kensington Museum Collections, has come to a sudden stop; nearly the entire stock and the stones having been destroyed by the great fire which consumed Mr. GRIGGS's establishment early in June. The process adopted by Mr. WILLIAM GRIGGS, enables not only the form and details of the examples to be reproduced, but also the colours to be indicated, and thus furnishes, at a very moderate cost, a more accurate and effective representation than could otherwise be obtained.

The Lords of the Committee of Council on Education have sanctioned this undertaking, and have authorized Mr. GRIGGS to take examples from the extensive collections of the South Kensington Museum, in the belief that the work will prove of value and interest, not only to the students in the Schools of Art connected with the Science and Art Department, but also to many others engaged in various branches of Industrial Art, and to the general public. The parts marked* are sold separately at 3s cach.

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