434 Mr. E. V. Harcourt on the Ornithology of Madeira. 



out of the breeding season, with the Canary, Goldfinch, BufF- 

 breasted Chaffinch, and other birds ; its only local peculiarity is 

 that of retaining its bright carmine colouring throughout the 

 year. 



The '^ Lesser Swift ^' {Cypselus unicolor, Jard.) is mentioned in 

 Brewster's Journal by Dr. Heineken under the title of " Black- 

 chinned Swift:'' this peculiarity is, however, by no means universal 

 amongst the species. I have several specimens in my possession 

 with the chin almost as white as that of the common Swift : one 

 of the chief difierences between the two is in size, the unicolor 

 being much the smallest ; I have therefore called it " Lesser 

 Swift;" the tail is forked about an inch and a half, and the 

 plumage is darker than that of the common Swift. The habits 

 of the Swifts in Madeira difi'er from those exhibited by birds of 

 that genus in England, and Dr. Heineken has assigned the true 

 reason for this difference. Dr. Heineken says*, "The Swal- 

 low and Snipe are said to be here periodical visitors, and the 

 reason both for the migratory habits of these birds, as well as 

 for the stationary habits of the Swift and Woodcock, is very 

 readily to be found, I suspect, in one common cause, namely /oo<^. 

 The Woodcock find its food about spring-heads, the margins of 

 little mountain-rills, &c. These are neither dried up here during 

 our hottest summers, nor frozen in the severest winters. The 

 Swifts prey universally on insects, but throughout the summer 

 on .a moth which abounds so on our most parched and sterile 

 serras, that what with the insects and the birds the place seems 

 all alive. The Snipe requires a tolerable quantity of poachy, 

 moist, decomposing soil for the production of its food, and this, 

 even in winter, is both scarce and very local, whilst at other 

 times there is not a square yard in the whole island j and the 

 Swallow requires insects which are found only over streams and 

 something approaching to rivers, which we make but a sorry 

 figure in at the wettest seasons, and are entirely without six 

 months in twelve." The common Swift {Cypselus murarius, 

 Temm.) is not quite so plentiful as the Lesser Swift. Both 

 species remain in the island throughout the year. 



The Ring-dove [Columba palumbus, Linn.) is an inhabitant of 

 the forests on the north side of the island, and is generally to 

 be found in the Funchal markets. 



The "Long-toed Wood Pigeon" {Columba trocaz, Hein.) has 

 been described by Dr. Heineken in Brewster's Journal : it answers 

 to the Columba laurivora of Webb and Berthelot, as given in their 

 work on the Canary Islands. Dr. Heineken merely adopts the 

 local name of Trocaz, by which the bird is known in Madeira ; 



* Zool. Journ. No. 17. Art. 17. 



