Wiltshire bibliography

A more or less complete bibliography of ornithological publications concerning Wiltshire (until the end of 2006) was included in Birds of Wiltshire.  It is currently being updated to include more recent publications and will be available for download here shortly.

It seems remiss not to mention one publication — from 1780 — if only because of its snappy title:

‘A DISCOURSE on the Emigration of British Birds; or, This Question at last Solv’d: Whence come the STORK and the TURTLE, the CRANE and the SWALLOW, when they know and observe the appointed Time of their Coming? Containing a curious particular and circumstantial ACCOUNT of the respective Retreats of all those BIRDS OF PASSAGE, Which visit our Island at the Commencement of SPRING and depart at the approach of WINTER; as, the CUCKOW, TURTLE, STORK, CRANE, QUAIL, GOAT-SUCKER, THE SWALLOW TRIBE, NIGHTINGALE, BLACK-CAP, WHEAT-EAR, STONE-CHAT, WHIN-CHAT, WILLOW-WREN, WHITE-THROAT, ETOTOLI, FLY-CATCHER &c &c. ALSO, a copious, entertaining, and satisfactory Relation of WINTER BIRDS OF PASSAGE, Among which are the WOODCOCK, SNIPE, FIELDFARE, RED-WING, ROYSTON CROW, DOTTEREL, &c, &c. SHEWING The different Countries to which they retire, the Places where they breed, and how they perform their ANNUAL EMIGRATIONS, &c. With a short Account of those BIRDS that migrate occasionally, or only shift their Quarters at certain Seasons of the Year. To which are added, REFLECTIONS on that truly admirable and wonderful Instinct, the ANNUAL MIGRATION OF BIRDS!’

The title alone seems worth the book-price of a shilling! A ‘Royston Crow’ is a Hooded Crow but, despite our efforts and those of others, it has proved impossible to track down what species is an ‘Etotoli’.