Birds of Vancouver- Island. 415 



further evidence, look upon as having been obtained on the 

 coast, to which alone in Vancouver Island Capt. Prevost's inves- 

 tigations extended. His ship vv'as, however, at times lying off 

 the shores of the mainland; and it is more than probable that 

 these species were collected at various points, though vaguely 

 described as being " from Vancouver Island." It is only out 

 of respect to so high an authority as ]\Ir. Sclater, and to so 

 distinguished an officer as Capt. Prevost, that I have retained 

 these species in this list^ marking them with a " ^ ". Dr. 

 Charles Forbes, R.N., in the appendix to his pamphlet entitled 

 a 'Prize Essay on Vancouver's Island as a Field for EmigTation'*, 

 has printed a short list of the birds ; but this list is very imper- 

 fect, and almost inaccessible to students of ornithology. Mr. 

 J. K. Lord, while Zoologist of the North-west Boundary Com- 

 mission, made various visits of considerable duration to Van- 

 couver Island, and in his workj has added not a little to our 

 knowledge of the birds of the island ; but as he has only pi'o- 

 fessed to give a general sketch of the zoology of North-west 

 America, he can scarcely be blamed for occasional looseness as 

 to localities. I have, however, inserted on his authority fourteen 

 species, marked with a dagger (f), which I was not aware were 

 natives of the island, though common on the mainland. The 

 above, meagre as it is, comprehends all that has been published 

 in any way affecting our knowledge of the species inhabiting the 

 country in question. The late Dr. Wood, R.N., contributed a 

 few paragraphs on the Birds of Vancouver Island and British 

 Columbia to Capt. Mayne's ' Four Years in British Columbia ' 

 (pp. 416-18) ; but I have not touched upon them, as the 

 account will manifestly not admit of criticism. 



During my various visits to and explorations of Vancouver 

 Island I lost no opportunity of studying its ornithology ; and 

 though often unable to convey any specimens over the almost im- 

 penetrable wilds which it was my duty to traverse, I made full 

 notes of the species, and resolved my doubts on return to civili- 

 zation. I also examined every local collection of which I could 



* Victoria, V. I. : 1862. 



X The Naturalist in British Columbia and \'aiicouvi'r Island. Loudon : 

 18G0. 



