12 



unless several mild seasons occur in succession. Moreover, does 

 it not sometimes cross the Channel ? 



With respect to the second group, so much has been written 

 about the periods of arrival and departure of the commoner kinds, 

 that I will pass them over, only remarking how little is known 

 about their proceedings during their absence from us, and the 

 distance travelled by them between the time of their leaving us 

 and their return. 



The third group comprises many species, some of whose sum- 

 mer haunts are pretty well ascertained ; but it also comprises 

 other common species, whose summer haunts are still but little 

 known to us, as the Knot, Sanderling, Common Godwit, Grey 

 Plover, Smew, and many others. 



The first portion of the fourth group comprises several species 

 which formerly were of the second group, but whose haunts and 

 habits with us have become changed by man's work ; such are 

 the Bustard, Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet, Spoonbill, probably 

 the Black Tern, and others. The breeding-grounds of each of 

 these species appear to have been very limited in extent in this 

 country ; and those places having been destroyed, and no others 

 suitable for the birds being at hand, they have in consequence 

 retired elsewhere ; but probably as species they are as numerous 

 as ever they were. This group comprises many species which 

 appear to have the widest range of flight ; some of the species 

 which probably breed in the far north merely pass us and spend 

 the winter elsewhere, as the Pigmy Curlew, Little Stint, the 

 Phalaropes, Buffon's Skua, Pomerine Skua, Little Gull, and 

 others ; whilst other species breeding a much shorter distance 

 northward, although strictly migratory, belong to the third 

 group, as the Turnstone, Purple Sandpiper, and several others. 



I have often wondered that the Black-tailed Godwit is not 

 more frequently met with in the north of England and Scotland. 

 It appears to be a common summer bird in Iceland, but is not 

 known in America ; consequently we might expect to meet with 

 it on its passage to Iceland to and from its winter quail 

 which are apparently in much warmer clinn-.s than our Island 

 Now I never knew an authentic instance of its being seen on 



