146 



THE MIGRATION OF BRITISH BIRDS 



Note. — x signifies Breeding ; vl Breeding, but very locally ; L ditto, 

 but locally ; w Winter only ; VLW Very rare and local in Winter only. 



Of the 115 species, tabulated above, that are resident 

 in our area, fourteen are entirely absent from Ireland, 

 whilst another eight cannot in any sense be considered 

 dominant in the island, but are excessively local. Now it 

 is a most significant fact that all these fourteen species 

 (with the solitary exception of the Eider Duck) are 

 confined chiefly to England and the extreme south of 

 Scotland, eminently southern species, not ranging north of 

 France in some cases, not north of the Baltic in others ; 

 or in the few cases of wide range northwards they are 

 birds strictly sedentary in their habits, and thus leave no 

 indication of former residence in Ireland (if such were 

 ever the case) by a line of Migration thereto. Further, 

 there can be no question whatever that all these species 

 were late arrivals, comparatively speaking, in the British 



