486 The Zoologist — November, 1866. 



the compiler a convenient opportnnity of recording his observations, 

 experiences and opinions. Again, I think there should be a classifi- 

 cation of the species totally independent of the technical division into 

 fives or threes, and based on natural characters, whether of physiology 

 or habits. I have shown, in " An Appendix to the Letters of Riisticus," 

 my own view on this subject, dividing the species into five principal 

 groups: 1st, those which continuously inhabit any given locality, as 

 the crow, the sparrow and the heron ; 2nd, those which breed in the 

 locality, but retire to warmer climes in the winter, thus breaking the 

 continuity of their residence, as the swallow, the nightingale, the turtle 

 dove, the corn crake ; 3rd, those which do not breed there as a rule, 

 but regularly spend certain winter months there, as the redwing, the 

 fieldfare, the woodcock, the snipe ; 4th, those which we see only on 

 the passage in spring and autumn, as the ring ouzel ; and 5th, those 

 birds whose visits are occasional and accidental, as the golden oriole, 

 the bee-eater, the nutcracker, the stork, the ibis, the avocet — birds 

 which have no geographical connection whatever with the locality 

 under consideration. 



I could have wished that Mr. Harting had adopted some such 

 classification ; but he has contented himself with saying that of the 

 225 birds that have occurred in Middlesex, 60 are resident, 68 migra- 

 tory, and 97 rare and accidental visitants, thus omitting to distinguish 

 between those which regularly breed in the county, and are therefore 

 truly indigenous, and those which visit the county for food only in the 

 winter mouths. 



Mr. Harting's arrangement of species, — it is the fanciful quinary 

 arrangement of Vigors, — however, serves as well as any other for the 

 purpose of introducing a variety of observations and records, both 

 quoted and original, and these really constitute the value of the book. 

 The author tells us he does not profess "to be a scientific ornithologist, 

 according to the modern acceptation of the term," but he is something 

 far better: he is thoroughly acquainted with the living birds, and 

 touches with a master's hand the peculiarities of each where pecu- 

 liarities exist. In order to exemplify this, I will give a few of his 

 memoranda in his own words, and 1 feel confident these will do more 

 to establish his reputation as an observant naturalist than any com- 

 mendations of mine. 



Nuthatch. — "In January, 1862, I saw a pair of nuthatches upon a 

 large oak at Bentley Priory, Stanmore, my attention having been 

 first drawn to them by their loud note, which struck me as not unlike 



