WILLET. 69 



This interesting bird is a well-known American 

 species, which has, however, occurred sufficiently often 

 in Europe, to justify its introduction as an occasional 

 and accidental visitor. 



There is a growing feeling among naturalists to 

 exclude all American birds from our European lists, 

 and there is no doubt that the avi-fauns are sufficiently 

 distinct to justify the principle upon which this feeling 

 is founded. But the rule which obtains with regard to 

 the British fauna, must to a certain extent be applied 

 to the European. If a well-known American species is 

 found occasionally or frequently to visit the old world, 

 we must, I think, undoubtedly place it in the same 

 category as the other border species which visit us from 

 Africa or Asia. Temminck in both editions of his 

 "Manual," 1820 and 1840, asserts that the Semi- 

 palmated Plover occurs not unfrequently in the north 

 of Europe. Degland relates an instance of its capture 

 at Abbeville, in France. M. des Murs, in his catalogue 

 of eggs, which is now placed in the Museum of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, mentions 

 Erance as a locality for the egg of this bird. This, 

 however, must be a mistake, as I believe there is no 

 instance on record of the Semipalmated Sandpiper 

 occurring in this country, except in its winter plumage. 

 Professor Blasius, who is no mean authority, tells us in 

 "Naumannia" 1855, p. 840, et seq., that, according to 

 Count Wallengreen's verbal description, this bird is not 

 unusual in Scandinavia. It is included also by Nilsson, 

 in the "Swedish Ornithology," vol. ii, p. 55. I "only, 

 however, introduce this bird as an accidental visitor, 

 and not as one which belongs to the European fauna. 



In America, the Willet or Semipalmated Snipe has 

 a range from the coast of Florida to the distant 



