( 118 ) 



the various islands of the Azores and between those from the higher and lower 

 elevations. 



[Local name : Vinajrreira. 



Specimens in the Ponta 1 >elgada Musenm : 

 n — c. Poiitii Deljrada, San Mirriiel.] 



The Rohin was foiuul in tiie eastern and cent nil isliuids nf the u;ron]i, but was 

 not met with in Flores and (Jorvo. It was most iimnerous on Santa Maria, San 

 Mignel, and Tereeira, fairly common on San Jorge, Pico, and Fayal, and compara- 

 tively scarce on (Jraciosa. On all these islands it was met with from sea-level to the 

 highest gronnd. In the town gardens and in the neighbonrlmoil of houses the birds 

 were as a rule fairly tame : but those inhabiting the higher woods and heath-clad 

 hills were very shy and difficult to approach, as is the case in Madeira. The most 

 richly coloured birds, with very bright breasts and dark brown backs, were found in 

 the gardens round Ponta Delgada, while all, or almost all, those met with on the 

 higher gronnd were ])aler in colour and somewhat smaller in si/e. The song did 

 not dift'er in any marked degree from that of our common Robin. 



The first nest was found on April 6th below the Caldeira, in central Tereeira, 

 at an elevation of about 2000 ft. It was placed on a ledge of rock overhung by 

 heath, and contained several broken eggs, which had proliably been destroyed by 

 some goat-herd. On May 27th I found two more similarly placed nests below the 

 (Jaldeira of Fayal, at an elevation of abont 2o(iO ft. Each contained three fresh 

 eggs of the ordinary Robin type, but perhaps a trifle smaller. In one clutch of 

 nearly ])erfectly oval eggs the rufous markings are suffused and very indistinct, 

 forming a somewhat iudetinite zone round the larger end ; in tlie second clutch, 

 with the eggs slightly more pointed, the ground-colour is whiter and the markings 

 more distinct, especially on two of the eggs. TIk^ measurements vary from 

 0-75— 0-8 X 0-57— 0-oS.] 



11 •2. Sylvia atricapilla (L.). 



Motdiilhi atrlrnpllhi Linn.ieus, Si/st. Xtil. ed. x. p. l.s7(I7.'i'S — '■ Habitat inEuropa." Typ. loe. 

 Sweden). 



1 (?, 2 ? ?, Santa Maria, 30i) -4(mi ft., 28. ii., :j. iii. litii:}. 



4 SS, 4 9?, Ponta Delgada, Furnas, and Laineiro, San Miguel, siiil— luiiil ft., 

 <;, 7, II, Hi, 111. iii. unci. 



2 (J(?, :5 ? ?, Heguinho, Tereeira, I2(i(i— luoil ft., -.iD/M. iii., 2. iv. lOiili. 



1 cJ, 1 ?, Santa ( 'rnz, (iraciosa, 2i)0 ft., 21. iv. I'.tiiS. 



2 (JcJ, 1 ?, above C'alheta, San Jorge, HiiMi— ]2iio ft., 2, :>, 0. v. I'.nUi 

 2 c?cJ, 1 ?, Pico, 900 to 10(10 ft., 13, 10, Is. v. I'.iiia. 



1 cJ, above Horta, central Fayal, 1000 ft., 2s. v. I'.iOii. 



2 66, 1 ?, above Santa Cruz, Flores, Oon -looo ft., Ifi, 17, Is. iv. 10o3. 

 6. " Iris brown, upper mandible black, h)wer slate, legs slate." 



I cannot see any sufficient reason to separate tin; Rlackca]) of the Azores from 

 the Eurojican form. It does not belong to the small and dark raci^ inhabiting 

 Madeira and the Canaries, but is inclined to be large. The wing is sometimes 

 very long, attaining a length of 7s and 70 mm., wliile in the European race it 

 does not as a rule exceed 7;"); the nnijority of sj)e(iniens are not, however, larger 

 than our European lorni. In colours I find no essential difl'erences. 



[Local name : Touto. 



