PREFACE. V 



self so marked it, it having been his practice to distinguish 

 thereby a substantive (in apposition) from an adjective (in 

 agreement with the generic name) . 



In those cases in which the Linneean specific name has 

 been raised to generic rank, references are given to Linnseus's 

 Systema Naturae as well as to the work in which the specific 

 name now used first occurs. 



The classification adopted is that modification of Professor 

 HUXLEY'S which was first promulgated by Mr. SCLATER in 

 the ' Nomenclator Avium Neotropicalium ' (1873), and is 

 further explained by him in < The Ibis/ 1880, pp. 340-350 

 and 399-411. 



Those species which the Committee does not regard as 

 positively authenticated as British are distinguished by 

 having their names printed in italics and included in 

 square brackets. But it has been deemed advisable to 

 regard as " British " every species of which even a single - 

 specimen has been obtained in an undoubtedly wild state 

 within the confines of the British Islands. 



The present list enumerates 452 species, of which 76 

 are included in square brackets, leaving 376 species as the 

 ascertained number of British birds. 



These 376 may be divided into four categories : 



(1) Residents, which are found throughout the year, and 



actually breed in some part of the British Islands. 



(2) Summer Visitors, which visit these islands in summer 

 and breed within their confines. 



