250 COUES, BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND. 



occurred to me that a paper which should combine these 

 different catalogues, or in other words present a complete 

 list of the Birds found in New England was still a desid- 

 eratum, and might prove an acceptable contribution to 

 Ornithology. I have accordingly endeavored to render 

 the following pages an exposition of the present state of 

 our knowledge as regards the distribution of species in 

 this section of the country. 



A simple enumeration of the names of species known 

 to occur, without regard to special points concerning each 

 of them, is, as has been frequently and justly remarked, 

 of comparatively little value in determining the real char- 

 acteristics of the Fauna of any particular locality. For 

 among the species represented, some are purely accidental, 

 and others only occasional or very rare visitors, whose 

 occurrence is entirely exceptional, and contrary to the 

 law ordinarily regulating their habits and distribution. 

 A very large proportion are species which only pass 

 through the region during their migrations ; and of those 

 which regularly summer or winter, or are permanent resi- 

 dents, some are very abundant, and, so to speak, charac- 

 teristic, while others are of comparatively infrequent 

 occurrence. The value of a local list seems to me to 

 depend in a great measure upon the just discrimination of 

 these several classes ; and cannot be said to approach 

 completion unless these points are fully elucidated. 



I have experienced some little difficulty in attempting 

 to fulfil this indication, in consequence of the extent of 

 country whose birds are to be presented. Within the 

 area of New England, as is well known to those fa- 

 miliar with the distribution of our species, are repre- 

 sented portions of two Fauna?* which differ in many 

 respects from each other. There seems to be a natural 

 dividing line between the birds of Massachusetts and 

 Southern New England generally, and those of the more 

 northern portions of the Eastern States. Numerous 

 species which enter New England in spring, to breed 



*The "Canadian" and " Alleghanian." Professor Verrill's paper 

 on the birds of Norway, Me., contains some interesting remarks upon 

 this subject. 



