PEEFACE. 
P to the present time, so far as I am aware, no complete 
work upon the Vertebrates of Leicestershire and Entland has 
been attempted, although scattered notes have appeared in various 
Natural History journals, and a few lists — more or less imperfect 
— have from time to time been published. Thus, in 1840 
MacGillivray, in his ‘ British Birds,’ printed a “ Catalogue of 
the Land Birds of the County of Leicester, by Mr. Jas. Harley.” 
In 184’2 Potter published, in his ‘ History and Antiquities of 
Charnwood Forest,’ an Appendix including the “ Ornithology of 
Charnwood Forest, by Churchill Babington, Esq.” It is probable 
that this list was written, if not published, previously to that of 
Harley. Nothing further, I beheve, was published for many years, 
until my friend Mr. Thomas Macaulay, M.R.C.S.L., contributed 
to ‘The Midland Naturalist’ for 1881-2 “A List of the Birds of 
Leicestershire,” to which I added a few notes. This list was, 
all things considered, the most complete then published. Since 
then a Hst, by Mr. F. T. Mott, of “ The Mammals of Leicester- 
sliire,” appeared in ‘ The Midland Naturalist ’ for November, 1884. 
Following this came my notes in ‘The Zoologist’ for 1885-6-7, 
which the puhhshers of that periodical have kindly allowed me to 
reprint, and, being in possession of the whole of the MSS. (1840-55) 
of the late James Harley, and of many additional notes acquired 
during my nine years’ residence in Leicestershire, it was suggested 
