V PREFACE. 



Three IVIaps have been added, as likely to be of use for reference, 

 especially to the traveller. The first of these shows the comparative 

 elevation of the land in the United Kingdom and the depth of the 

 surrounding seas ; and, although on a small scale, it will serve as a 

 guide to the relative positions of the various groups of islands, 

 respecting some of which rather vague ideas appear to be enter- 

 tained. It may also remind the reader that, owing to the indenta- 

 tions of our coast, very few places in the British Islands are fifty 

 miles distant in a straight line from tidal or brackish water : a fact 

 which exercises an important influence on our climate — and conse- 

 quently on our bird-life — during the winter months, and may well be 

 contrasted with the conditions prevailing over Continental areas. 

 The North Polar Chart will, I trust, be of assistance in estimating the 

 range of the birds which breed in the Arctic regions. As regards or- 

 thography, I have persistently run counter to custom in two instances 

 — Bering for Behring and Spitsbergen for Spitzbergen, for the fol- 

 lowing reasons. Vitus Bering w^as a Dane^ born in Jutland about 

 1680, and the discoveries which have immortalized him were made 

 when in the service of Russia ; while Spitsbergen was so written by 

 the Dutch, who were the first to give an account of that island. 

 It seems undesirable to disguise the above facts by copying the 

 spelling of German cartographers. 



The study of Migration is now pursued throughout the civilized 

 world, and has already become surrounded by a literature of its own, 

 far too voluminous for notice here ; indeed we are now overwhelmed 

 with plausible theories out of all proportion to the scanty amount of 

 solid facts accumulated. Meanwhile it is satisfactory to note the 

 great interest that has been awakened among the keepers of our 

 lighthouses and lightships, owing to the publication of their sched- 

 ules in the annual Migration Reports, which have been drawn up 

 by a Committee of the British Association for the last ten years ; 

 and through them considerable addition has already been made 

 to our knowledge of the habits of wandering species as well as to 

 that of the regular lines of flight adopted by birds in general. 

 The impetus given to this study by the researches of Mr. H. Gatke 

 of Heligoland cannot be over-estimated, and some valuable papers 

 by various authors have appeared during the last five years in the 

 Austro-Hungarian ' Ornis.' 



The birds considered as British in this work are 367 in number, 

 exclusive of several forms — duly noticed — respecting which there 

 are conflicting opinions. The species which have been ascertained 

 to breed within the United Kingdom during the present century 



