PREFACE. XI 



It is sometimes difficult to make a just estimate of the 

 powers of flight. The Rev. Robert Holdsworth wrote 

 me word that a Water Rail alighted on the yard of a 

 man-of-war, about 500 miles to the westward of Cape 

 Clear, and at the same distance from any known land. 

 An officer of the ship caught it, and took care of it, and 

 carried it with him to Lisbon, feeding it with bits of raw 

 meat. In a day or two it became perfectly tame, and 

 would eat out of his hand. 



By the kindness of two officers of the Royal 42nd 

 Highlanders, stationed at Bermuda, I received the skin 

 of a Landrail, shot there. This bird is not found in the 

 New World, and could only have reached Bermuda under 

 the influence of a strong north-east wind, and thus saved 

 its life, for a time, by making that island. 



The number of our British Birds is . . 354 



Of which those resident all the year are . .140 



Summer visitors 63 



Winter visitors 48 



Occasional visitors . 103 



354 



I have been led to these remarks, crude and imperfect 

 as they are, by the communications of two kind friends, 

 Sir John Richardson and Alfred Newton, Esq., on the 

 same subject, and I give here, by permission, that of Sir 

 John Richardson in his own words. 



" With respect to Sir John Ross's pigeons, as far as I 

 can recollect, he despatched a young pair on the 6th or 



