426 BRITISH SPECIES UNKNOWN AS IRISH. 



Fauna of Couch. The Nightingale has been seen as far north 

 as Carlisle in England, but not so far westward as Cornwall or 

 Wales.* The last three species are unknown in Scotland. 



Occasional or irregular visitants. Many specimens of the 

 Mealy Redpole have been obtained in England, and some in Scot- 

 land. The Nutcracker, Parrot Crossbill, Blue-headed Wagtail, 

 and Great Black Woodpecker," have several times been procured 

 in different parts of England ; the three former, each twice, and 

 the last, once in Scotland (on the authority of Sibbald). None 

 of the following seventeen species has been met with in the 

 latter country. A few individuals of the Woodchat, Blue-throated 

 Redstart, Savi's Warbler, Eire-crested Eegulus, Richard's Pipit, 

 Shore Lark, Lapland Bunting, and Ortolan Bunting, have been 

 killed in different parts of England. The Alpine Accentor and 

 Red- winged Starling, have each been thrice met with; the Rock 

 Thrush, twice; the Great Sedge Warbler, Melodious Willow- 

 Wren, Dalmatian Regulus, Short-toed Lark, American White- 

 winged Crossbill, and the Australian spiny-tailed Swallow, have 

 each occurred but once.f 



As all the species included in the preceding table, except four, 

 frequent the continent of Europe, and are unknown in the 



* " The nightingale, I think, appeal's to migrate almost due north and south, devi- 

 ating but a very little indeed either to the right or left. There are none in Brittany, 

 nor in the Channel Islands, Jersey, Guernsey, &c. ; and the most westward of them 

 probably cross the channel at Cape La Hogue, arriving on the coast of Dorsetshire, 

 and thence apparently proceeding northward, rather than dispersing towards the 

 west ; so that they are only known as accidental stragglers beyond at most, the third 

 degree of western longitude, — a line which cuts off the counties of Devonshire and 

 Cornwall, together with Wales and Ireland." Mr. Blyth, as quoted in YarreU's 

 Brit. Birds, vol. i. 303 ; 2nd edit. 



Dr. J. L. Dnrmmond informs me, that when he was, many years since, in H.M.S. 

 Renown, at Gibraltar, in spring, some nightingales on migration, flew on board. 



In the History of the Early part of the Reign of King James the Second, by 

 Charles James Fox, there is an interesting letter from the author, addressed to 

 Lord Grey, on the singing of the nightingale. See preliminary address " To the 

 Reader," p. xii. 



t The data respecting the distribution and occurrence of the preceding species in 

 England, are taken from YarreU's beautiful volumes ; those for Scotland, from Jar- 

 dine's and Macgillivray's works. Four of the species,— Sylvia turdoides, S. hippo- 

 lais, Temm., Loxia leucoptera (as distinguished from L. bifasciata, Nilsson), Acan- 

 thi/lis cavdacuta, — have been added to the British catalogue since the appearance of 

 the 2nd edit, of YarreU's work in 1845. 



