RECENT ADDITIONS to the BRITISH AVIFAUNA.
By H.E. Dresser, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c.
Quite recently a specimen of Pallas's Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus proregulus (Pall.), was forwarded to me for examination by Mr. Thomas Southwell, of Norwich, and I exhibited it on his behalf at the meeting of the Zoological Society held on Tuesday, Dec. 1st. This bird, which was obtained at Cley-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, on Oct. 31st last, affords another instance of the fact that most of the recent additions to our British avifauna are visitants from the East, chiefly from Northern Asia. It is only quite recently that another Asiatic species occurred for the first time on record in our island, viz. the Greenish Willow Warbler, P. viridanus, Blyth, a specimen of which was obtained at North Cotes, Lincolnshire, on Sept. 5th last; and only a short time ago a specimen of the small race of our Chiffchaff, which I have only hitherto seen from Eastern or Southeastern Europe, and which was obtained at Easington by Mr. Witherby, was sent to me for determination. This form, which is nothing but a diminutive race of our Chiffchaff, was described by Homeyer (Erinn. a.d. Samml. Deutschl. Ornith. 1870, p. 48) as distinct, under the name of Phylloscopus brehmi, but I do not consider it worthy of specific rank.
The Yellow-browed Warbler, P. superciliosus (L.F. Gmel.), is another Asiatic Warbler which has occurred here on several occasions, and it is worthy of note that Asiatic species which occur on Heligoland generally find their way here sooner or later. Thus the Yellow-browed Warbler has occurred frequently on that island, the Greenish Willow Warbler three times, and Pallas's Willow Warbler once or twice; and we may therefore look for the Siberian Chiffchaff, P. tristis, Blyth, Eversmann's Warbler, P. borealis, Blasius, the Bright-green Willow Warbler, P. nitidus, Blyth, here, as all these Warblers have been obtained on Heligoland. It is very possible that one or more have visited our island and have been overlooked, as at the first glance they
