6 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



This work has been partially done by the British Association 

 Migration Committee. Our principal lights are the following : — 



Cork, L.V., 5 miles off mouth of Harwich River. 



Landgttard Point, L.H., entrance to Harwich River. 



Galloper, L.V., 40 miles S.E. of Orfordness ; 2 white, horizontal, fixed. 



Kentish Knock, L. V., 33 miles N.E. North Foreland ; white, revolving each minute. 



Swin Middle, L. V., off Thames ; white, revolving every minute. 



Tongue, L. V., off Thames ; 2 lights, fixed ; higher white, lower red. 



Nore, L. V., entrance to Thames ; white, revolving 30 seconds. 



(1^.) Number of Species met with in Essex. 



Although it is certain that further observation will bring to light 

 other Essex birds, not recorded in the following pages, it will be 

 found that the list contains no less than 272 species, a number which 

 has, I believe, been exceeded in very few other counties, namely, 

 in Norfolk, Yorkshire, Suffolk, and perhaps one or two others. It 

 would have been easy to increase this total by the addition of at least 

 a score of other species, which have been admitted by some writers, 

 such as the Purple Martin, Great Black Woodpecker, Black Swan, 

 Canada Goose, Virginian Colin and Spotted Sandpiper (which have 

 no claim whatever to a place on the British list), the Great Reed 

 Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Red Grouse, Macqueen's Bustard, Rock 

 Dove and American Wigeon (which have been recorded in Essex, 

 either under doubtful circumstances or on insufficient evidence), the 

 Black-bellied Dipper, Parrot Crossbill, and Intermediate Ringed 

 Dotterel (which I regard as sub-species or geographical races merely). 

 All these, however, I have unhesitatingly rejected. 



(e.) British Species first met with in Essex. 



The following British Birds, five in number, are notable as having 

 first been met with in Essex :— 



Alpine Accentor Adriatic Gull 



Blue-headed Wagtail Scopoli's Sooty Tern. 



Pheasant 



(/) Nomenclature. 



The system of nomenclature and classification I have adopted 

 is that employed in the " Ibis " List of British Birds, compiled by 

 a Committee of the British Ornithologists' Union, and published in 

 1883. This list should, in my opinion, be now regarded as the 

 standard and only duly authorised one ; for, although not altogether 

 free from objectionable points, it is the joint work of several of our 

 best working ornithologists, by whom it was most carefully and 

 deliberately compiled, and it has been officially adopted by the 



