BIRDS ON THE BRITISH LIST. 
Their Title Considered. 
O PERSONS who are desirous to make a collection 
of Birds; or their eggs; and to confine that col- 
lection to those of this country; it is of importance to be 
clear as to what birds are, or are not British: and it 
appears to me that ‘British Birds,’ and ‘Birds on the 
British List’ are not quite the same thing. 
The difficulty of determining which are ‘ British 
Birds’ consists in the different views which those 
Ornithologists take, who, by their experience, and publi- 
cations, are justly accepted as law-givers. 
The difficulty, as to what Birds should be upon the 
British List, consistsin the azthenticity or non-authenticity 
of their ‘occurrence’ in these Islands. 
The evidence, when fairly put can be competently 
judged by most persons who take an interest in the 
subject. But it has been most differently admuztted, or 
rejected by our best men. It seems manifest, if a dis- 
tinction be drawn between ‘British Birds,’ and ‘ Birds on 
the British List,’ that a szmgle occurrence of any wild 
bird, from natural causes, should entitle that bird toa 
place on our List; but it should take much more to 
constitute it a British Bird. Upon how much more the 
