Introduction. xi. 
Occasional Visitors (43). 
1 Cannabina rostrata. 2 C. homemanni. 3 Loxia leucoptera. 4 Regulus calendula. 
5 Turdus migratorius. 6 Progne purpurea. 7 Dendrocopus villosus. 8 D. pubescens. 
9 Coccyzus americanus. 10 C. erythrophthalmus. 11 Ceryle alcyon. 12 Surnia funerea. 
13 Astur atricapillus. 14 Butco boj'ealis. 15 B. lineatus. 16 Elanoidcs furcatus. 
17 Plotus anhinga. 18 Clicn hypcrborcus. 19 Mareca americana. 20 Nettion carolinense. 
21 Querquedula discors. 22 Charitonetta albeola. 23 CEdemia pcrspicillata. 24 Lophodytcs 
cucullatus. 25 Botaurus lentiginosus. 26 Oxyechus vocifcrus. 27 Numenius borealis. 
28 Macrorhamphus griseus. 29 Totanus Jlavipes. 30 Hclodromas solitarius. 31 
Tringoidcs macularius. 32 Bartramia longicauda. 33 Tringites subruficollis. 
34 Limonites minutilla. 35 Heteropygia 7 naculata. 36 H. fuscicollis. 37 Stcganopns 
tricolor. 38 Lotus Philadelphia. 39 Oceaniiis oceanica. 40 CEstrelata hcesitata. 
41 Podilymbus podicipes. 42 Po 7 'zana ca)'oli 7 ia. 43 Ectopistes 7 /iig 7 'atoria. 
I can quite imagine that considerable exception will be taken by many Ornithologists to the 
arrangement of the above list, but, as Dr. Sclater pointed out at a recent meeting of the British 
Ornithologists’ Club, the flight of any American species to the shores of Great Britain is not 
really greater than the bird would take in its ordinary flight to its winter home. It would 
require, therefore, but an adverse wind to drive it to Britain instead of to its ordinary winter 
home in Central or South America. 
I fully expect that a difference of opinion on many points in the above synopsis will be felt 
amongst Ornithologists, especially amongst those who cling to the traditions of the recognised 
‘ British List.’ The different categories under which the species should be arranged are not easy 
to define, and exception may be taken to the headings under which 1 have placed some of them 
Thus, for instance, the Alpine Chough {Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) might reasonably be con- 
sidered to be one of those species which have escaped from confinement. Co/'acias abyssmicus 
might with reason be relegated to the list of spurious British species, and so on. 
Again, the Little Bunting ( E/)iberiza pusil/a) might be supposed to be a visitor from the 
North instead of from the East, but in each case I have had in my mind the winter home of the 
species, and its probable line of migration. 
All the questions respecting the status of every species in the List of British Birds could easily 
be settled by a committee of expert ornithologists, and if each bird was considered under its English 
name, some unanimity might be expected. Opinions differ so widely as to the proper scientific 
names of our British Birds, that it is useful sometimes to have an independent opinion on the 
subject, and such I have endeavoured to express in the present work. 
R. B. S. 
