PBEFACE 



THE following attempt to make some amends to the Members 

 of the British Ornithologists' Union for the thousand and 

 one blunders contained in a list of British Birds compiled 

 by their Committee, for which I, as one of the seven delin- 

 quents, must bear my share of responsibility and blame, 

 does not pretend to be exempt from the universal liability 

 to error. All it can claim is that some pains have been 

 taken to master the subject and to weigh the balance of 

 evidence in each case as impartially as possible. 



The attempt has been made to classify British Birds in 

 three different ways. Firstly, as to their distribution within 

 the British Islands ; secondly, as to their distribution during 

 the breeding season outside the British Islands ; and thirdly, 

 as to their climatic distribution during the breeding season. 



H. S. 



LONDON, 1893. 



