PKEFACE. 
E here bring to a conclusion our pleasant task 
T T of presenting to the public a complete account 
of the Feathered Inliabitants of, or visitors to, the 
British Islands. Not a species, however rare, has, 
we believe, been omitted ; and, as far as our space 
allowed, we have described their peculiarities of form 
and colour of plumage, their habits and their haunts. 
Of British birds there are, according to Macgillivray, 
320 species : 143 being permanent residents ; 44 
summer birds, which breed with us ; 36 winter 
residents; and 97 stragglers from various quarters; 
and of these more than half are called Aquatic 
Birds. 
A difficulty has been experienced in effecting a 
division of these into three distinct groups, which 
our plan of publication required, and to give to each 
volume a title which should express the general cha- 
racter of the birds included therein. 
