Tuer Zootocist—DecemBrr, 1872. 3327 
130 are residents, 100 periodical migrants, and 30 annual visitants ; 
the remainder [135] being rare and accidental visitants:” it thus 
appears that a third of the species described or enumerated in 
books or lists as “ British” Birds have no just claim to the title, 
a circumstance which it would be well for students to bear con- 
stantly in mind. The following additional explanations are 
given :— 
“As Resmpents are included those species which rear their young 
annually in the British Islands, and are to be found in some part or other 
of the kingdom throughout the year. 
“ PeriopicaL Mierayts are those which visit us annually and regularly 
at particular seasons, and whose advent and departure may be dated in 
advance with considerable precision. 
“The Annuat Visrrants comprise those which occur in some parts of 
the British Islands annually, but comparatively in very limited numbers 
and at irregular and uncertain intervals.”—Zd., p. v. 
Of the residents 13 are not found in Ireland, and 9 are either 
unknown or extremely rare in Scotland. Of the periodical migrants, 
the great majority of which come to us from the south, 10 do not 
reach Ireland, while 8 others are but of rare occurrence there: in 
Scotland 10 also are never or very rarely met with. With regard 
to annual visitants, Ireland is not visited by 8 or 9 which find their 
way to England. Ireland does not possess any characteristic birds, 
as is the case with Scotland. 
“The rare and accidental visitants,” continues Mr. Harting, 
“form a large proportion of the total number of species in the 
British List, being 135 out of 395, or rather more than one-third of 
the whole. If from these we exclude the terns, gulls and petrels, 
many of which are almost cosmopolitan in their distribution, it 
will be found that of the remainder, 48 are European, 14 Asiatic, 
1] African and 42 American in their origin.”—Jd., p. viii. 
Mr. Harting dwells earnestly on the difficulties which constantly 
beset the conscientious historian who meets with records of the 
capture of these exotics: 1st, we have the communications of over- 
zealous, and I may add inexperienced, collectors, who give a name 
to a bird before they have ascertained the correct name; and 2ndly, 
the practice of unscrupulous dealers to palm off foreign specimens 
on unwary collectors, with the assurance that they have been killed 
in some part or other of the British Islands. I see no remedy for this. 
So long as there are geese ready to be plucked, there are sure to be 
