Introduction. xi. 



OCCASIUNAI. \'isni>KS (43). 



1 Ciiiiiiiil)iiia rostnita. 2 C. lioriicmaniii. 3 l.nxia Icucoptcra. 4 Rcgii/iis calcitdida. 

 5 Turdus migratoriiis. 6 Progne purpurea. 7 Dcndrocopiis villosiis. S I), piibesccns. 

 9 Coccyziis a)iicriauiiis. 10 C. crythroplitlialmtis. 11 Cc7ylc alcyoii. 12 .Snrniafuncrca. 

 13 Astur atricapiUus. 14 Butco boreal/ s. 15 5. Ihieaiiis. 16 Elanoides furcatiis. 

 17 Plotiis aiiliiiiga. 18 Clicii hyperlwrei/s. 19 Marcca amcricana. 20 Nett/oii carolincjise. 

 21 Qiicr(/iicdiila discors. 22 Cliariloiiettaalheola. 2'i Qidemia perspiciltata. 2i, Loplwdytcs 

 ciicitllali/s. 25 Botaiinis letitiginosus. 26 O.xvceluis vocifcriis. 27 Niimenius borealis. 

 28 Macror/iamp/iiis griseiis. 29 To/amis flavipes. 30 He/odro!/ias solitariiis. 31 

 Trhigoidcs ?nacidariiis. 32 Bartramia loiigicaiida. 33 Tringites subruJicoUis. 

 34 Limoniics mhiutiUa. 35 Hctcropygm macidaia. 36 //. fuscicollis. 37 Stcganopns 

 tricolor. 38 lAiriix Philadelphia. 39 Uceanifis occaiiica. 40 CEsirclata ho'siiata. 

 41 l'odilyiid)i(s podieipcs. 42 J'orza/ia rarolijia. 43 Ectopistes inig7-atoria. 



I can quite imagine that considerable exception will be taken by many Ornithologists to the 

 arrangement of the above list, bnt, as Dr. Sclater pointed out at a recent meeting of the British 

 Ornithologists' Club, the flight of any American species to the shores of Great Britain is not 

 really greater than the bird would take in its ordinaPi- flight to its winter home. It would 

 require, therefore, but an adverse wind to drive it to ]!ritain instead of to its ordinary winter 

 home in Central or South America 



I fully expect that a difference of opinion on many points in the above synopsis will be felt 

 amongst Ornithologists, especially amongst those who cling to the traditions of the recognised 

 ' British List.' The different categories under which the species should be arranged are not easy 

 to define, and exception may be taken to the headings under which I have placed some of them 

 Thus, for instance, the Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocora.v pyiThocorax) might reasonably be con- 

 sidered to be one of those species which have escaped from confinement. Coracias abyssiiiicus 

 might with reason be relegated to the list of spurious British species, and so on. 



Again, the Little Bunting (Embcriza piisilla) might be supposed to be a visitor from the 

 North instead of from the East, but in each case 1 have had in my mind the winter home of the 

 species, and its probable line of migration. 



All the questions respecting the statusof every species in the List of British Birds could easily 

 be settled by a committee of expert ornithologists, and if each bird was considered under its English 

 name, some unanimity might be expected. Opinions differ so widely as to the proper scientific 

 names of our British Birds, that it is useful sometimes to liave an independent opinion on the 

 subject, and such I have endeavoured to express in the present work. 



R. B. S. 



