VI PREFACE. 



at all had I not been requested to contribute to a local 

 periodical ('Eyes and No Eyes') which was then being 

 brought out at Taunton, under the auspices of Mr. Tuck- 

 well, the Head Master of the Taunton College School. 



Before regularly commencing my notes 1 think it may be 

 as well to mention a few subjects generally applicable to 

 many of the species hereafter noticed. First perhaps of 

 these, the subject of migration strikes one as the most 

 prominent. We may I think very fairly divide migration 

 into two classes, regular and irregular ; the regular migra- 

 tion being that great movement that takes place twice 

 every year at certain definite seasons ; in the spring, when 

 the birds, departing from their winter quarters move north- 

 ward, and spread themselves over a wide expanse of country, 

 many of them reaching even beyond the arctic circle ; and 

 in the autumn, when they return with their young broods 

 to the warmer and more genial climates in which they pass 

 the winter. Many of these birds remain with us throughout 

 the whole of the summer or winter, as the case may be; 

 others pay us only a passing visit in the spring and 

 autumn, continuing their journey further north and south. 

 Most of our rarer chance visitants belong to this great 

 band of regular migrants, but their usual line of flight 

 being to the east or west of these islands they only pay us 

 accidental visits, either owing to being blown out of their 

 ordinary course by strong gales occurring at the time of 



