40 THE SUBJECT OF FAUNAL AREAS. 



areas, or a winter resident in another, or a migrant 

 only in a third ; or it may occupy more than one of 

 these natural divisions in a different manner at differ- 

 ent seasons of the year. All matters relating to the 

 presence of birds in New England at large, as well 

 as to the details of their local distribution within such 

 limits at any given period of the year, must rest upon 

 consideration of the different Faunal areas involved in 

 the solution of the problem. It rarely suffices to say 

 of a species, simply, that it " breeds in New England," 

 or that it is " migratory in New England ; " much more 

 explicit and precise statement being required in most 

 cases. The zoologically varied character of New Eng- 

 land is still further enhanced by the fact, that it pre- 

 sents an extensive sea-coast line, and therefore in- 

 cludes a number of marine birds which are only found 

 inland by accident. 



In the body of the present work the author has paid 

 special attention to the local distribution of species, and 

 has endeavored to work out the character and man- 

 ner of the presence of each New England bird in more 

 precise and satisfactory manner than has before been 

 attempted. He has undertaken not only to indicate 

 whether the bird be a permanent resident, a summer 

 or winter visitant, a migrant or a straggler, in New 

 England at large, but also to state in what portions of 

 the country it takes one or another of tiiese parts, in 

 filling its role as an inhabitant of the six Eastern States, 

 or of any of them ; the natural faunal areas above in- 

 dicated being kept prominently in view. It is consid- 

 ered a great gain in precision to refer expressly to the 

 Canadian, Alleghanian, and Carolinian Faunas, instead 

 of using the terms so loosely employed by most writers. 



