V1 PREFACE. 
at all had I not been requested to contribute to a local 
periodical (‘Eyes and No Eyes’) which was then being 
brought out at Taunton, under the auspices of Mr. Tuck- 
well, the Head Master of the Taunton College School. 
Before regularly commencing my notes I| think it may be 
as well to mention a few subjects generally applicable to 
many of the species hereafter noticed. First perhaps of 
these, the subject of migration strikes one as the most 
prominent. We may I think very fairly divide migration 
into two classes, regular and irregular; the regular migra- 
tion being that great movement that takes place twice 
every year at certain definite seasons; in the spring, when 
the birds, departing from their winter quarters move north- 
ward, and spread themselves over a wide expanse of country, 
many of them reaching even beyond the arctic circle; and 
in the autumn, when they return with their young broods 
to the warmer and more genial climates in which they pass 
the winter. Many of these birds remain with us throughout 
the whole of the summer or winter, as the case may be; 
others pay us only a passing visit in the spring and 
autumn, continuing their journey further north and south. 
Most of our rarer chance visitants belong to this great 
band of regular migrants, but their usual line of flight 
being to the east or west of these islands they only pay us 
accidental visits, either owing to being blown out of their 
ordinary course by strong gales occurring at the time of 
