Thl Blackbird. The Redwing. 



The Mistle Thrush. The Thrlsh. 



INTRODUCTION. 



THE Orders of the Class A-zvs are thirty-lour in number, and of these twenty-two are 

 represented in the ' British List.' Such is the term applied to the roll of species which 

 have occurred, or which are supposed to have occurred, within the area of the British 

 Islands. The birds which ought to be considered as actually British are those which 

 «f.v/ with us, as the breeding-place is, after all, the real home of a bird ; but there are also the 

 regular migrants to be considered, I'/s.— the species which pass to and fro in spring and 

 autumn — and finally, the occasional or accidental visitors. The claims of many of the species 

 included under the last two headings are often so slight, that the birds can hardly be considered 

 worthy of a place in the ' British List ' at all, but in the present work every species has 

 been mentioned, so that the evidence of these stray occurrences may be taken for what it is worth. 

 The total number of British Birds is now believed to be 445, divided as follows: — 



Passerifu7'>nes (Perching Birds) ... 

 Picifurmcs (Woodpeckers) 

 Cuciiliformcs (Cuckoo-like Birds) 

 Coraciifnnnfs (Roller-like Birds) 

 Strigiformcs (Owls) 

 Accipitriforincs (Birds of Prey) ... 

 PeleCMiiformcs (Pelican-like Birds) 

 Phatiicoptcriformcs ( Flamingoes) 

 Anscrifonncs (Duck-like Birds)... 

 Ardeiformcs (Heron-like Birds)... 



Grniformcs [Cranes) 



('haradriiformcs (Plover-like Birds) 



SPECIES 

 ... 156 



7 



4 



14 



II 



31 



4 



I 



... 4S 



14 



2 

 .. 60 



Larifoniics (Gulls) 



Alcifonncs (Auks) 



Proccllariiforines ( Petrels) 

 ('iily)Hliifonncs (Divers) ... 

 I'lidicipcdidiformcs (Grebes) 



Kiilliforiius (Rails) 



('tdin/di/foi //ics (\'\geons) ... 

 P'lcroclctifuniies (Sand-Grouse) . 

 (itillifonni-s (Game-Birds) 

 7'iiriiic/fvrmi-s (Hemipodes) 



SPECIES 

 52 



17 



4 

 6 

 10 

 6 

 I 

 8 

 I 



445 



Of these four hundred and forty-five species, there are doubtless several that have no real 

 claim to be considered British at all. The evidence of the capture of many of the specimens 

 is not convincing, and many species are included in the British Avifauna on untrustworthy 

 data. They have been, however, on the British list for so many years that any attempt 

 to shake the authenticity of their occurrence by a single author may be resented. It is to be 

 hoped that an authoritative list of British Birds may be published by the British Ornithologists' 

 Union or by the B. O. Club. 



