ALPHABETICAL LIST 



OF 



BRITISH BIRDS, 



WITH A SYNOPTIC YIEW OF SOME OF THEIR LEADING 

 DISTINCTIONS. 



EXPLANATION. 



NAMES. 



The first column contains the common English names, and the second 

 column the generic and specific systematic ones. The former are arranged 

 alphabetically; and the only explanation they require is, that when the 

 name contains an adjective or epithet, that is put first, but the epithet 

 " common " is omitted. 



CHARACTERS. 



The third column, headed c. expresses the character of the bird, and 

 requires attention to these particulars, 



R. means a resident bird, or one which is found in some part of the 

 country all the year round. 



S v. means a summer visitant, w v. a winter visitant, o v. an occa- 

 sional visitant, and s. a straggler not belonging to a regular migration. 



The italics prefixed qualify the characters; c. means common, or that 

 the bird is generally distributed; /. means local, and r. means rare: but 

 the application of these cannot be very precise ; e. or w. prefixed to an 

 occasional visitant or straggler, means that it belongs to an eastern or 

 a western migration. 



HABITS. 



The fourth column headed H. refers to the habits of the birds in feeding, 

 There, 



A. means aerial birds, which seek their prey on the wing; h. prefixed 

 means that they fly high, m. moderate height, and /. that they fly low. 



B. means branch or bush-birds, which find their food on trees or 

 bushes ; t. prefixed denotes that they seek it on the twigs and leaves, and 

 I. on the bark. 



H. means that they seek their food on herbaceous plants. 



G. means a ground bird; r. is prefixed if a runner, and s. if they search 

 the earth either with the bill or by scraping with the feet. 



w. means a water bird; w. that it wades, a. that it feeds on fishes on 

 the wing, s. that it swims, and d. that it dives. 



