PREFACE 
TO 
EE See EL LOIN: 
Tue following History of British Birds was published 
in thirty-seven Parts of three sheets each, at intervals of 
two months; the first Part was issued in July 1837, and 
the last m May 1843. During these six years many oc- 
currences of rare birds, and of some that were even new 
to Britain, became known to me, either by the communi- 
cations of private friends and correspondents, or from the 
examination of the various periodical works which give 
publicity to such events. To render this History, there- 
fore, as complete as my means will permit, I devote this 
Preface to the enumeration of all such occurrences as have 
become known to me since the period of inserting the 
account of the species in its order in the body of the 
work; and the new subjects have been engraved on single 
leaves, so paged, that the bookbinder may insert these 
separate leaves among the birds of the genus to which 
each respectively belongs. 
These references to new and rare birds being now trans- 
ferred to the volumes, are not repeated here, and I may 
add my hope that I have in all cases acknowledged the 
sources from which I derived the various particulars that 
have conduced so largely to give a character to this work ; 
