284 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT. 
of Silurian age, mostly moorland, and sparsely inhabited. 
These two ranges unite at the head of the Vale of Clwyd, and 
pass on southward to the furthest limits of Denbighshire, 
including in this area the beautiful Vales of Llangollen and the 
Ceiriog. 
Nor is the climate much less varied than the physiography of 
the district. That of southern Cheshire is practically the 
climate of our Midland Counties generally; while that on the 
North Coast of Flintshire and Denbighshire more nearly 
approaches that of Devonshire in its equable character ; that of 
Chester and the low parts of Flint and Denbigh being 
intermediate. 
Why is it, that with all this variety of soil, altitude, and 
climate, with sea-coast, estuarial mud-flats, mountain moorland, 
and cultivated land, the district of the Chester Society has 
not a richer avifauna ? A. Ose 
The number of species which I have been able to admit to 
my list, on what I regard as fairly good evidence of their 
having occurred in a genuine wild state, is about 220. 
That the number is not greater is no doubt due in part to the 
incompleteness of the list—which I hope will soon require to be 
supplemented—-but, in part, because our district happens not to 
lie in any of the great routes of migration. It can never com- 
pare as a “bird district” with our Eastern Counties, which 
receive the great autumnal bird-wave from across the North 
Sea ; and even lies off the line of the West Coast movement of 
land birds, which are said to make their journey between the 
Mull of Galloway and Anglesey by way of the Isle of Man. 
EXPHANATION’ OF" LIST: 
The District includes :— 
(a) Cheshire, west of a line drawn southwards from 
Warrington ; 
(4) Denbighshire ; 
(c) Flintshire ; 
(d) A small portion of Carnarvonshire east of the mouth 
of the Conway, including the Great and Little 
Orme’s Head; 
(e) A slip of Merionethshire running down the course of 
the Dee, between two portions of Denbighshire, of 
which it seems naturally to form a part. Corwen is 
its centre, and it includes Palé and Rtg, to which 
reference is often made. 
Note.—This last portion I have included on my own responsi- 
bility, as I have found it impossible to separate its 
records from those of the adjoining borders of 
Denbighshire. 
