LAREDO. 629 



are either continual residents or regular migrants. 

 The list of British birds, according to the last 

 * Zoologist List' published by Mr. Newman, con- 

 tained as many as 395 species, and since that time 

 I see a few others have made their appearance in 

 these islands : we may therefore now count at least 

 400 species of British birds ; I have not been able 

 to claim much over half for Somerset. No doubt to 

 make up the 400 many have been included which 

 have very little right to a place in the British list, 

 only single specimens having occurred; but these 

 single-specimen birds seem from time to time to add 

 to the number of their appearances, as scarcely an 

 annual volume of the ' Zoologist ' is published 

 without some addition of this sort taking place, 

 as in the case of the Egyptian Vulture. Though 

 interesting in many ways, these rare visitors are not 

 the birds whose protection or destruction can be 

 considered of much consequence in a utilitarian 

 point of view, but the constant residents and re- 

 gular migrants, which we can number by thousands, 

 such as some of the Finches, the Thrushes, the 

 Warblers, the Tits, the Swallows, the Crows, and 

 the Pigeons : these are the birds for the destruction 

 of which Sparrow Clubs, poisoned grain and peti- 

 tions to landlords are set on foot. How little 

 cause there is for such wholesale slaughter, and how 

 far the birds are either rightfully or wrongfully 

 accused, I hope I have in many cases made apparent 



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