Birds of eHirral, 
In offering this list to the Chester Society of Natural Science, 
I quite think it is not exhaustive. There is still a good field 
for enquiry amongst the land birds, and a better amongst the 
wading and swimming ones. The higher parts of the Estuary of 
the Mersey, including the Ince meadows, &c., as far as Runcorn 
and the Estuary of the Dee, with the enclosed and unenclosed 
marshes, are very worthy of research for the two latter tribes. 
The Avifauna of Wirral has changed a great deal in the last 
few years, and is still changing, through the agency of increased 
population and local alterations. The Falconidz, some of the 
Corvide, and wild Fowl, are becoming scarce. Some birds 
which formerly nested in Wirral, have almost, if not entirely, 
ceased to do so. 
I think none of the one hundred and sixty-eight species 
enumerated in the following list need a separate comment. 
Of these, of course, some are resident, some are summer visitors, 
some winter ones, whilst others are stragglers. Of the latter, 
the Black Swan is perhaps not yet admitted as an indigenous 
wild bird of Europe, but I believe is fast becoming so. I give 
all the species I know of which have occurred at large and 
leave them on their own merits. 
The classification aud nomenclature are those of Yarrell’s 
Work on British Birds, except in the instance of the Sand 
Grouse, which has occurred since the publication of the above- 
named book. The name and position in the list of that bird are 
indicated in Mr. Moore’s communication. The black swan is 
noticed later, 
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