xxiv 



NOTE. 



lines adopted by Lord Lilford himself in the later 

 parts of his work could not be satisfactory, and it 

 also seemed un advisable to revert to the short notes of 

 the earlier parts. I therefore took a somewhat middle 

 course and confined my notes in each case to a brief 

 statement of the claims of each species to be considered 

 a British Bird and to a short summary of its external 

 geographical distribution. 



Regarding the final systematic arrangement of the 

 work, I may add that in June 1895 Lord Lilford drew 

 up a rough list of the groups of British Birds placed in 

 the order in which he considered they ought to stand. 

 This list was submitted to me and a few suggested 

 alterations were accepted. The order of this list has 

 now been adopted, very slightly adjusted to admit 

 species that had been overlooked. It is, in many 

 respects, the order of the Fourth Edition of ' Yarrell's 

 British Birds.' 



In an Appendix to Volume VII. I have given a 

 List of Birds said to have occurred in the British 

 Islands, but of which no further mention will be 

 found in this work. No attempt is made to investigate 

 their respective claims to be included in the British 

 list. 



O. S. 



Hawksfold, 

 Fernhurst, 



Christmas 1897. 



