INTRODUCTION. XI 



T. bonapartii (9), T. pusilla (2), Gallinago wilsoni (1), Macro- 

 rhamphus griseus (15), Numenius borealis (4)^ Botaurus len- 

 iiffinosus (14)*, Crex Carolina (1), Cygnus americanus (1), 

 C. buccinator (1), Anser albatus (1), Anas americana (6), 

 Clangula albeola (5 or 6), (Edemia perspicillata (10), Soma- 

 teria spectabilis (15), and Mergus cucullatus (11). 



It is extremely difficult to believe that the non-aquatic 

 species in this list have actually journeyed across the Atlantic, 

 and performed a voyage of at least 1700 nautical miles on 

 the shortest route, vid Newfoundland ; but that most of them 

 have actually done so seems proved by the fact that they 

 have never been met with in Greenland, Iceland, and the 

 Faroe Isles (the only countries through which they would 

 otherwise have passed by a change of route); and many 

 which have thus found their way to England or Ireland (as, 

 for example, Agelceus phomiceus, Cuculus americanus, Ceryle 

 alcyon, ^gialitis vociferus, Totanus solitarius, Tringa bona- 

 partii, Botaurus lentiginosus, and others) have never been 

 met with on any part of the European continent. As might 

 be expected, at least half the American species found in this 

 country belong to the orders Grallatores and Natatores, 

 while of the 14 species of Insessorial birds, none of them, 

 with the exception of Agelaus phoeniceus, has occurred half 

 a dozen times. This plainly shows that their appearance on 

 this side of the Atlantic is the merest accident, and not the 

 result of any continued and successful attempt at migration. 

 In some instances at least it is not unreasonable to suppose 

 that these small birds must have availed themselves to a 

 great extent of the rigging of passing vessels, or have been 

 brought to this country in cages, from which they have been 



* In addition to those noticed at pp. 150-152, 1 have recently been in- 

 formed by Sir John Crewe that a specimen in his collection was killed 

 at Slingsby, near Malton, Yorkshire, nn the -1th Dec. I87I. 



