14 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
ON THE OCCURRENCE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 
ENGLAND OF THE AMERICAN RED-BREASTED 
THRUSH (TURDUS MIGRATORIUS). 
By THE EDIToR. 
Ir is not a little remarkable that most of the specimens of North 
American birds which are recorded to have been found in Europe 
were taken in England. According to Professor Spencer Baird this 
has happened in fifty out of sixty-nine instances, and in nearly 
every case these specimens belonged to species which are abundant 
during summer in New England and the Eastern Provinces of 
British America. This computation, however, was made ten years 
ago,* since which time the increased attention paid to Ornithology 
has resulted in the detection in Great Britain of several North 
American birds which had not been previously observed here, as 
well as many fresh instances of the appearance of species which 
had been already noted as occasional visitants to this country. 
On referring to my ‘Handbook of British Birds’ (Introd. 
pp- X., xi.), I find that I had noted at the date of its publication, in 
1872, the reported occurrence in the British Islands of 212 North 
American birds belonging to 42 different species. Omitting a few 
of these which have proved to be of doubtful authenticity, but 
adding some that I had overlooked, and a few others that have 
since occurred, we have in round numbers about 220 instances of 
the occasional appearance in Great Britain of North American 
birds. Of the forty-two species above referred to, five have been 
birds of prey, fourteen Passeres and Picarie, one Columba, fourteen 
Grallatores, and eight Natatores. 
I have now to add another to the list of passerine birds, in the 
shape of the American Migratory Thrush (Turdus migratorius), 
familiarly known as the American Robin. 
In the month of September last I received a letter from Lieut. 
Charles Pope, of the 24th Regt., then stationed at Dover, in which 
he informed me that a friend of his had in his possession, alive, a 
remarkably coloured Thrush which he was unable to identify. It 
had been observed to fly in from the sea in a very exhausted state 
* See “The Distribution and Migrations of North American Birds,” by Spencer 
F. Baird, in the ‘ American Journal of Science and Arts’ (vol. xli., January, March, 
and May, 1866). Reprinted in ‘ The Ibis,’ 1867, pp. 257—293. 
