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ON THE MORE IMPORTANT ADDITIONS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF BRITISH BIRDS SINCE 1899.

BY H. F. WITHERBY AND N. F. TICEHURST.

IN the first number of this Magazine Mr. Howard Saunders gave the history of those birds which have been added to the British List since the publication in 1899 of his well-known " Illustrated Manual of British Birds." In the present contribution we propose to deal with the further occurrences, since that date, of those species which are reckoned among our rarer visitants, and also to detail certain other important facts which have been added to the knowledge of our native avifauna during this same period. More especially we shall refer to the all-important question of the extension or restriction of range. We have omitted all mention of the descriptions of sub­ species, because Dr. Ernst Hartert has promised to con­ tribute to this magazine an article dealing with this subject. Those records which affect the distribution of our birds outside this country have likewise been omitted as being outside the scope of a Magazine article. During these eight years much valuable work has been done by Messrs. W. Eagle Clarke and J. A. Harvie-Brown, and others under their direction, to add to the knowledge of the birds of ; while equally remarkable have been the numerous occurrences recorded from the south­ east of England of birds which rarely visit this country. Most of the rarer visitors have been exhibited at meetings of the British Ornithologists' Club, and have been duly recorded in the Bulletin of the club. Amongst the works which have been published the following, as adding to our knowledge of the subject, may be mentioned :—" The Birds of ," by R. J. Ussher and R. Warren; " The Birds of Surrey," by J. A. Bucknill; ADDITIONS SINCE 1899. 53 " The Birds of Cheshire," by T. A. Coward and C. Oldham; " A Fauna of the N.W. Highlands and Skye," by J. A. Harvie-Brown and H. A. Macpherson; " The Birds of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight," by J. E. Kelsall and P. W. Mum; "The Birds of the Isle of Man," by P. Ralfe; "A Fauna of the Tay Basin and Strathmore," by J. A. Harvie-Brown. Mention should also be made of Mr. W. Eagle Clarke's reports for the British Association on the migrations of the Song Thrush, Fieldfare, White Wagtail, Swallow, Starling, Rook, Skylark and Lapwing, and the same author's migration essays contributed to the " Ibis " ; while attention must be called to the two reports on the spring immigrations of summer residents prepared by the Migration Committee of the British Ornithologists' Club. We have also to express our indebtedness to Mr. R. J. Ussher, who has very kindly sent us some notes on the changes in the status of some birds in Ireland since the publication of his and Mr. Warren's book. In the following list references to the second edition of Mr. Saunders' " Manual " have been abbreviated thus :— " S. page — "; and in all cases the records in this list should be read in conjunction with Mr. Saunders' work, which we have regarded as the standard one on the subject. MISTLE THRUSH Turdus viscivorus (L). S. page 1. OUTER , .—Breeding in 1906 and possibly since 1902. Previously unknown in the (J. A. Harvie-Brown, Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1902, p. 138, and N. B. Kinnear, 1907, p. 17). IRELAND.—Is probably still increasing (R. J. Ussher, in litt.). BEDWINGr Turdus iliacus (L). S. page 5. Supposed hybrid between T. iliacus and T. pilaris described (Prof. Collett, Ibis, 1898, 317). WHITE'S THRUSH Turdus varius Pallas. S. page 11. YORKSHIRE.—One shot at Luddenden Dean, near Halifax, on December 18th, 1902. Fourth record for Yorkshire. {Naturalist, 1903, p. 68.) BLACKBIRD Turdus merula L. S. page 13. Hybrid with T. pilaris described by Prof. Collett (Christiania Vid. Selslc. For., 1905, No. 11). 54 BRITISH BIRDS.

IRELAND.—Breeds now in extreme western districts as Valentia Island, the Aran Islands, the Mullet, Co. Mayo. It was first observed breeding in the latter by Mr. Richards in 1890, and now it is common in summer there (R. .). Ussher, in litt.). RING OUZEL Turdus torquatvs (L). S. page 15. Recorded as nesting near Osborne, Isle of Wight, in 1906, but insufficient particulars given (A. M. C. Nicholl, R.N.College, Field, 23rd June, 1906). DESERT WHE ATE AR Saxicola deserti Riipp. S. page 25. PENTLAND SKERRIES (Lighthouse).—Male adult captured June 2nd, 1906 (W. Eagle Clarke, Ann. Scot, Nat. Hist., 1906, p. 138). This is the third record of the occurrence of this species in Scotland, and the fourth in the British Isles. WHINCHAT Pratinoola rvbetra (L). S. page 27. FAIR ISLE ().—Double passage in fair numbers (W. K. Clarke, t.c. 1907, p. 75). SHETLAND.—An adult male occurred during a remarkable visitation of birds in the latter half of April, 1898 (W. E. Clarke and T. Henderson, junr., t.c , 1898, p. 178). The Whinchat has been very rarely found in the . REDSTART Ruticilla phoenicurus (L) S. page 31. SHETLAND.—A pair found building at Spiggie, May 10th, 1901 (C. A. Sturrock, t.c, 1901, p. 194). OUTER HEBRIDES. - Two observed on October 6th, 1903, and one on September 21st, 1906, at the Skerryvore Lighthouse (J. Tomison, t.c, 1907, p. 20). In the Shetlands the Redstart is mainly an autumn visitor, while in the Hebrides it had not been previously recorded. BLACK REDSTART Ruticilla titys (Scop.). S page 33 SCOTLAND —Solway area—One November 17th, 1899. Aber­ deen, one March 20th, 1900 (t.c, 1900, pp. 47 and 121). Moray- One October 30th, 1903 (t.c, 1904, p. 55). Flannan Isles—A female adult obtained on June 27th. 1905, was forwarded to W. E. Clarke in the flesh, and other examples occurred on November 3rd, 7th and 8th, 1905 (t.c, 1905, p. 244, and 1906, p. 142). —An adult male was picked up dead on November 19th, 1905, and on the same date one was seen near Glasgow (t.c, 1906, pp. 51 and 143). The Black Redstart rarely occurs in Scotland, and its occur­ rence as far north as the Orkneys was previously uncertain, while the end of June is a remarkable date for this bird to occur anywhere in the British Isles, and especially so far north as the Flannan Isles. ADDITIONS SINCE 1899. 55 BLTJETHROAT Cyanecula suecica. S. page 35. NORFOLK.—The Bluethroat may now be regarded as an annual visitor to the coast of Norfolk on the autumn migra­ tion vide .1. H. G-urney in Zoologist, 1900, p. 398 ; 1901, p. 122 ; 1902, p. 81; 1903, p. 133 ; 1904, p. 203 ; 1905, p. 96 ; 1906, p. 134 ; 1907, p. 122, and for an occurrence on May 16th, 1900, i.e., 1907, p. 128. LINCOLNSHIRE.—In 1899 (t.c, 1900, p. 203), and 190^ (i.e., 1904, p. 291). SUSSEX.-In 1903 (t.c, 1903, pp. 389. 421). SURREY —In 1904 (t.c, 1904, p. 262). YORKSHIRE.—1903 (t.c, 1904, p. 212). PAIR ISLE (SHETLANDS).—A young male was shot by Mr. N. B. Kinnear on September 25th, 1905, and about a dozen young and adult were observed during September, 1906 (W. E. Clarke, t.c, 1906, pp. 21 and 237 ; and 1907, p. 75). SHETLANDS, TJnst.—One reported to have been seen on September 25th, and two on September 26th, 1906 (T. E. Saxby, t.c , 1907, p. 50). Only five Bluethroats have been previously recorded as visiting Scotland. NIGHTINGALE Daulias luscinia (L.) S. page 39. YORKSHIRE, Knaresborough.—A pair reported as having " taken up their abode on the banks of the Nidd " in 1902 (R. Fortune, Naturalist, 1902, p. 192). Selby.— Nest and eggs found and photographed by W. S. Forrest in the spring of 1904 (tc, 1905, p. 353). The Nightingale has very rarely nested as far north as Yorkshire. PLUMAGE. —A specimen in moult with the tail and wing feathers lately renewed was found dead in Sussex on April 8th, 1899 (M. J. Nicoll, Bull. B.O.C., XIII., p. 14). WHITETHROAT Sylvia cinerea Bechst. S. page 41. FAIR ISLE (SHETLANDS).—A bird of double passage (W. E. Clarke, Ann. Mat. Scot. Hist., 1907, p. 73). Mr. H. Saunders says " its appearance in the Shetlands is exceptional." LESSER WHITETHROAT Sylvia currw.a (L.) S. page 43. ROSS-SHIRE.—A clutch of eggs taken in 1896 at Inverbrooni was identified as belonging to this species (L. W. Hinxnian and W. E. Clarke, t.c, 1903, p. 71). OUTER HEBRIDES, Flannan Islands.—One shot, September 23rd, 1904 (W. E. Clarke, t.c, 1905, p. 15). FAIR ISLE (SHETLANDS).—Frequent, as a bird of double passage, in 1906 (W, E. Clarke, t.c, 1907, p. 73). 56 BRITISH BIRDS.

NORTHUMBERLAND. —Nesting at Chipchase in 1899 and 1900 (Abel Chapman, Bird Life of the Borders, 2nd ed., p. 145) The Lesser Whitethroat is a very rare bird in the northern counties of Scotland, and has never been recorded before as breeding so far north as Ross, nor has it before been recorded as nesting in Northumberland.

ORPHEAN WARBLER Sylvia orphea Temm. S. page 45. SUSSEX.—A female was shot near St. Leonards-on-Sea on October 7th, 1903 (W. R. Butterfield,Bull. B.O.G., XIV., p. 16). An immature male was picked up dead undsr telegraph wires near St. Leonards ou Septembei 16th, 1905 (0. B. Ticehurst, t.c, XVI., 35). These are the third and fourth records of the occurrence of this species in the British Isles.

GARDEN WARBLER Sylvia hortensis Bechst. S. page 49. OUTER HEBRIDES, Flannan Islands.—One seen September 16th, 1904 (W. E. Clarke, Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist.. 1905, p. 15.) FAIR ISLE (SHETLANDS),—Small numbers during September, 1905 (W. E. Clarke, t.c, 1906, p. 20). The Garden Warbler is a very rare visitor to the Outer Hebrides and Shetlands. BARRED WARBLER Sylvia nisoria, (Bechst,). S. page 51. KENT.—Two males obtained at Woodchurch on April 24th, 1907. These are the first recorded for Kent, and they are also the first occurrences of this bird in spring, previous examples having been obtained in the autumn (N. E. Ticehurst, Bull. B.O.C., XIX., p. 89). NORFOLK.—One identified by Pashley on September 13th 1902 (J. H. Gurney, Zoologist, 1903, p. 133). LANCASHIRE.—One shot near Fleetwood, on August 20th, 1898 (W. R. Butterfield, Naturalitt. 1899, p. 75). LINCOLNSHIRE.—A young female was shot at North Cotes on October 17th, 1899 (G-. H. C. Haigh, Knowledge, 1899. p. 278); another young female was shot in the same district on September 20th, 1902 (G-. H. C Haigh, Zoologist, 1903, p. 363), and a third example occurred in the same place on September 4th, 1905 (t.c, 1906, p. 133). OUTER HEBRIDES.— A young bird was shot on on October 29th, 1900 (W. L. MacG-illivray, Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1901, p. 114). Twenty-four occurrences in the British Islands of this species have now been recorded.

(To he continued.)