RECENT ADDITIONS to the BRITISH AVIFAUNA. 

 By H. E. Dresser, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. 



Quite recently a specimen of Pallas's Willow Warbler, 

 Phylloscopus proregulus (Pall.), was forwarded to me for examina- 

 tion by Mr. Thomas Southwell, of Norwich, and I exhibited it on 

 his behalf at the meeting of the Zoological Society held on 

 Tuesday, Dec. 1st. This bird, which was obtained at Cley-next- 

 the-Sea, Norfolk, on Oct. 31st last, affords another instance of 

 the fact that most of the recent additions to our British avifauna 

 are visitants from the East, chiefly from Northern Asia. It is 

 only quite recently that another Asiatic species occurred for the 

 first time on record in our island, viz. the Greenish Willow 

 Warbler, P. viridanus, Blyth, a specimen of which was 

 obtained at North Cotes, Lincolnshire, on Sept. 5th last ; and 

 only a short time ago a specimen of the small race of our Chiff- 

 chaff, which I have only hitherto seen from Eastern or South- 

 eastern Europe, and which was obtained at Easington by Mr. 

 Witherby, was sent to me for determination. This form, which 

 is nothing but a diminutive race of our Chiffchaff, was described 

 by Homeyer (Erinn. a. d. Samml. Deutschl. Ornith. 1870, p. 48) 

 as distinct, under the name of Phylloscopus brehmi, but I do not 

 consider it worthy of specific rank. 



The Yellow-browed Warbler, P. superciliosus (L. F. Gmel.), is 

 another Asiatic Warbler which has occurred here on several 

 occasions, and it is worthy of note that Asiatic species which 

 occur on Heligoland generally find their way here sooner or later. 

 Thus the Yellow-browed Warbler has occurred frequently on 

 that island, the Greenish Willow Warbler three times, and 

 Pallas's Willow Warbler once or twice ; and we may therefore 

 look for the Siberian Chiffchaff, P. tristis, Blyth, Eversmann's 

 Warbler, P. horealis, Blasius, the Bright-green Willow Warbler, 

 P. nitidus, Blyth, here, as all these Warblers have been obtained 

 on Heligoland. It is very possible that one or more have visited 

 our island and have been overlooked, as at the first glance they 



