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The range of our European Eoller extends throughout Europe, excepting in the high north, eastward 
to Central Asia and North-western India, and southward to the southern portions of Africa. With 
us in Great Britain it is a rare straggler, but has been recorded from various parts of our islands at 
least a hundred times during the spring and autumn migrations, chiefly, however, in the autumn, and 
it has been obtained as far north as the Orkneys and Shetland. It has been recorded from Ireland 
much less frequently than from England and Scotland, the occurrences not having been more than, 
according to Mr. Saunders, five or six, at long intervals. 
It has once been recorded from the Faeroes, a female, which is now in the Copenhagen Museum, 
having been obtained near Thorshavn on the 22nd July, 1836, and it occurs in Southern Scandinavia 
not unfrequently. Collin {1. c.) notes many instances of its occurrence in Denmark during the last 
half-century, chiefly in the spring; and in Norway, according to Prof. Collett, it is met with in Southern 
Norway singly or in pairs in the spring and summer, but not every year, and its occurrence in Norway 
was recorded by Briinnich as far back as 1764. One was shot at Eoldalen in the birch region of the 
Doose in July 1872, and one was obtained as far north as Varanger, in 70° N. lat., in October 1868. 
It has not been known to breed in Norway, but evidently breeds in Sonthern Sweden, for Prof. 
Sundevall states that it arrives there early in May and leaves about the end of August; but in the 
neighbourhood of Stockholm its stay is a shorter one. It occurs in Sweden up to about 60° N. lat. on 
the northern boundary of the oak region, and is not uncommon near Stockholm and Upsala, but is 
rare near Gefle, above which it only occurs as a rare straggler. 
Throughout continental Europe it is very generally distributed. In Holland it is only met with 
as a somewhat rare visitant, and in Belgium it is, according to M. Fallon, “ of rare and accidental 
occurrence during the summer and always seen singly. The Notary, M. Morimont, of Jambes has 
killed it near Namur, and Baron de Selys-Longchamps cites two or three instances of its having been 
killed in the wooded mountains on the banks of the Ourthe.” In France it occurs in the northern 
districts on passage, but breeds in the south. M. A. Lacroix says that it occurs on passage in the 
French Pyrenees, where it has been obtained in April, June, July, and August. In Portugal it is a 
rare bird, and Mr. Tait writes (‘ Ibis,’ 1887, p. 305) respecting its occurrence there as follows:—“ So 
far as my experience goes, the Boiler is uncommon in Portugal. Dr. P. d’Oliveira, of Coimbra, showed 
me a specimen in his collection, and the wing was given to me of one which had been shot near 
Palhal copper-mines, Albergaria Yelha. Under date of July 20th, 1883, Dr. Carvalho, of Coimbra, 
wrote me that a specimen had just arrived from the Coimbra Museum. I was disappointed at not 
meeting with this species on the banks of the Guadiana and in the Algarve, in April.” 
In Spain, however, it is, though somewhat local, a common bird, and found numerously in some 
parts. I have met with it near Madrid and in Andalucia and Catalonia, and Mr. Saunders states 
(/. c.) that in Southern Spain it generally arrives early in April and swarms throughout the country. 
Col. Irby, however, remarks that “ in Andalucia they are very local. I have seen one or two in May 
near Casa Vieja, but they are not common nearer to Gibraltar than the vicinity of Seville. Thence 
along the valley of the Guadalquivir to Cordova they abound. I never saw one about Gibraltar. 
They arrive during the latter end of March, leaving by September.” 
Passing eastward again one finds the Eoller fairly distributed throughout continental Europe. 
In the northern portions it is tolerably common in some localities. It breeds regularly in Brunswick 
and also in many other parts of Germany; von Homeyer observed it between Mainz and Darmstadt 
in June ; it is found during the summer in Schleswig and Schwerin, and breeds quite commonly in 
Mark Brandenburg, but is said by Dr. Schalow to be rare in Niedeiiausitz. I have frequently taken 
its nest in Pomerania, and it is said to be a tolerably common summer resident throughout Eastern 
