THE BIKDS OF ALDERNEY. 



BY MR. E. D. MARQUAND, A.L.S. 



The notes which I am about to read to you are unfortunately 

 much less complete than I could wish, but they are intended 

 simply as a contribution towards a more thorough knowledge 

 of the ornithology of these islands than we possess at present. 



The late Mr. Cecil Smith's little book contains a great 

 deal of valuable information, and is most useful, inasmuch as it 

 is the only work we have on the subject. But much additional 

 matter has been accumulated since it was written twenty-five 

 years ago, so that the entire work stands in need of thorough 

 revision and correction, in order to bring it up to date. 



From a Memoir of Cecil Smith which appeared in the 

 Zoologist soon after his decease, I learn that several articles 

 and notes about the birds of the Channel Islands were con- 

 tributed by him to that journal subsequent to the publication 

 of his book. They are as follows : — 



Long-eared Owls in Guernsey (1880). 



Keel-legged Partridge in Guernsey (1880). 



Buffon's Skua in the Channel Islands (1882). 



Marsh Harrier in Herm (1882). 



Little Gull in Guernsey (1885). 



Pallas's Sand Grouse in Guernsey (1888). 



In the following list I have placed the birds in the order 

 adopted by Smith, and I have confined my remarks as far as 

 possible to information which is not supplied in his book. 

 Nothing will be said, therefore, about many of the commoner 

 species which he has already noted as occurring in Alderney. 



If any ornithologist contemplates paying a visit to 

 Alderney, I shall be pleased to give him the names of three or 

 four gentlemen who shoot a good deal in the autumn and 

 winter, and who possess preserved specimens of many birds 

 they have killed. Among them I believe there are some 

 which have not been recorded for the Sarnian Islands. At 

 any rate, I noticed several which I could not identify at sight. 



