getting hold of a recently killed bird, the shape and colour of 

 the legs, beak, and other parts, in some species, look so fresh 

 and beautiful ; and without having dead birds, it is not possible 

 to learn anything about the changes of plumage, food, and other 

 matters. No one, however, regrets more than I do their wanton 

 destruction, and their being driven away by what are so often 

 termed improvements in the country. When we are informed 

 that some of the smaller species of humming birds scatter them- 

 selves over a great portion of North America during the summer 

 and retire before winter after breeding, why need we be surprised 

 at the powers of flight the larger birds have ? C. M. A. 



BRITISH SPECIES OF BIRDS IN INDIA AND 

 AMERICA. 



(Reprinted from " The Field" Newspaper, Sept. 22nd, 1865.) 



SLR, On looking over Jerdon's " Bird's of India," I find so 

 many of our common species that I have been tempted to make 

 a list, for comparison, of those found there; and, having done 

 so, I have marked with a f those met with also in North Ame- 

 rica. Perhaps this list may interest some of your readers. The 

 number of species, the same in India as with us, appears to be 

 about one hundred and ten, and of these nearly forty are also 

 met with in North America. I have inserted a few species 

 where either a permanent variety or a most nearly allied species 

 represents the one in another country. Those in the list are 

 chiefly migratory birds and chiefly water birds, and their appear- 

 ance in India corresponds generally with that here, as well as in 

 America. Now I must observe that I do not wish anyone who 

 may read this to suppose for one instant that it is anything like 

 correct ; there is no one living who could make a strictly correct 

 account, nor will there ever be. The subject will occupy man's 

 attention for ever, as there must always be diversity of opinion 

 as to what constitutes a species and what a permanent variety. 



