RARE SPECIES. 107 



Elanus furcatus, . . Swallow-tailed Kite. 



Fam. Vulturida. 

 Neophron percnopterus, Egyptian Vulture. 



Fam. Strigidm. 

 Surnia funerea, . . . Hawk Owl. 

 Noctua passerina, . . Little Owl. 

 — Tengmalmi, . Tengmalm's Owl. 



IN IRELAND, AND NOT IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



Vultur fulvus, . . . Griffon Vulture. 

 Aquila nsevia, . . . Spotted Eagle. 



The Circus cineraceus has been met with from the south to the 

 north of England, but has not occurred in Scotland, unless in the 

 instance mentioned at p. 83. Elanus furcatus is an American 

 (N. and S.) species, which has been taken once in Scotland and 

 once in England. The Neophron percnopterus, which inhabits 

 the south of Europe, has but once been procured in Great Britain. 

 Surnia funerea is included in the British list, from a single indi- 

 vidual captured on board a vessel off the coast of Cornwall, as 

 recorded by me in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 

 1835, p. 77. It inhabits the northern parts of Europe and North 

 America. Noctua passerina and N Tengmalmi are only occasional, 

 and very rare visitants to England ; in Scotland, they have not 

 been noticed. The former is chiefly a native of the more southern 

 portion of Europe, not having been seen beyond 55° north lati- 

 tude, according to Temminck. The latter inhabits more especially 

 the northern parts of that continent, but has been obtained on 

 the southern side of the Alps. It is common in North America. 



The distribution of Vultur fulvus, and Aquila ncevia, is treated 

 of under those species, in the preceding pages. 



The difference between the species of raptorial birds enumerated 

 in the respective lists of Great Britain and Ireland, arises, with 

 the exception of Circus cineraceus (a species resorting to England 

 regularly in the summer), from mere accidental visitants. If we 

 pause for a moment to consider the probability of the occurrence 



