426 
BRITISH SPECIES UNKNOWN AS IRISH. 
Fauna of Couch. The Nightingale has been seen as far north 
as Carlisle in England, but not so far westward as Cornwall or 
Wales.* The last three species are unknown in Scotland. 
Occasional or irregular visitants. Many specimens of the 
Mealy Eedpole have been obtained in England, and some in Scot- 
land. The Nutcracker, Parrot Crossbill, Blue-headed Wagtail, 
and Great Black Woodpecker, have several times been procured 
in different parts of England ; the three former, each twice, and 
the last, once in Scotland (on the authority of Sibbald). None 
of the following seventeen species has been met with in the 
latter country. A few individuals of the Woodchat, Blue-throated 
Eedstart, Savins Warbler, Eire-crested Eegulus, Eichard's Pipit, 
Shore Lark, Lapland Bunting, and Ortolan Bunting, have been 
killed in different parts of England. The Alpine Accentor and 
Eed-winged Starling, have each been thrice met with; the Eock 
Thrush, twice; the Great Sedge Warbler, Melodious Willow- 
Wren, Dalmatian Eegulus, Short-toed Lark, American White- 
winged Crossbill, and the Australian spiny-tailed Swallow, have 
each occurred but once.t 
As all the species included in the preceding table, except four, 
frequent the continent of Europe, and are unknown in the 
* “ The nightingale, I think, appears to migrate almost due north and south, devi- 
ating but a very little indeed either to the right or left. There are none in Brittany, 
nor in the Channel Islands, Jersey, Guernsey, &c. ; and the most westward of them 
probably cross the channel at Cape La Hogue, arriving on the coast of Dorsetshire, 
and thence apparently proceeding northward, rather than dispersing towards the 
west ; so that they are only known as accidental stragglers beyond at most, the third 
degree of western longitude, — a line which cuts off the counties of Devonshire and 
Cornwall, together with Wales and Ireland.” Mr. Blyth, as quoted in YarrelTs 
Brit. Birds, vol. i. 30B ; 2nd edit. 
Dr. J. L. Drummond informs me, that when he was, many years since, in H.M.S. 
Renown, at Gibraltar, in spring, some nightingales on migration, flew on hoard. 
In the History of the Early part of the Reign of King James the Second, by 
Charles James Fox, there is an interesting letter from the author, addressed to 
Lord Grey, on the singing of the nightingale. See preliminary address “ To the 
Reader,” p. xii. 
t The data respecting the distribution and occurrence of the preceding species in 
England, are taken from Yarrell’s beautiful volumes ; those for Scotland, from Jar* 
dine’s and Macgillivray’s works. Four of the species, — Sylvia turdoides, S. hippo- 
lais , Temm., Loxia leucoptera (as distinguished from I. bifasciata , Nilsson), Acan- 
thylis caudacuta, — have been added to the British catalogue since the appearance of 
the 2nd edit, of Yarrell’s work in 1845. 
