( 124 ) 



in different individuals of the same sex and age. As it was at tirst thought this 

 variation luiglit be due to locality, a large series was collected from every island, bnt 

 we satisfied ourselves that only one somewhat variable form exists. The adult male 

 birds have the top of the head blue and the back green or blue-green, bnt some 

 males, probably birds of the year, but with the testes mueh enlarged, have the back 

 brownish. The amount of white in the outer tail-feathers also varies greatly : most 

 birds have the two outer pairs of tail-feathers jiartially white, bnt some individuals 

 liave the outer tail-feathers uniform black, and intermediate forms are met with. 

 Lastly, in one or two of the finest adult males procured, the rnfous jiinl; of the 

 chest and breast is shaqily defined from tlie belly, which is jmre white. 



The males of this sjiecies may generally be distinguished from the Madeiran 

 ally by having a innch larger bill, a well-defined light eyebrow stripe, a dark spot 

 behind the eye and much less white on the outer tail-feathers.] 



11'-. Serinus canaria canaria (L.). 



Friiigillii Ciwiirm. Linnaeus, S(ist. Nni. eil. .\. p. IKl (175«— " H.ili. in C'anaiiis insulis." Descrip- 

 tion of the yellow cage-varietj). 



fi JcJ, 4 ? ?, Santa Maria, Am ft., 28. ii., I. iii. l'.»o:l 



'"< 66, ;")??, San Miguel, :iiiii_,siio ft., (i— 2."). iii. liit)3. 



li (Jc?, 6 ? ?, Terceira, 1200—2000 ft., 28. iii. to o. iv. 19o3. 



■") c?c?, T) ? ? , Graciosa, 200 ft., 21—24. iv. 190 i. 



2 c?c?, 2 ? ?, San Jorge, 1200 ft., 4, 6. v. Itt03. 



3 c?c?, 3 ¥ ?, Pico, 1000 ft., 13, 17. v. 1003. 

 2 66, 2 ? ?, Fayal, 2ooo ft., 2.-), 27. v. l!io3. 

 !(?,!?, Flores, looo ft., ].->. iv. I'.io:}. 



"Iris brown: bill: upper mandible dusky liorn. under mandilih' jialc horn: 

 legs light brown (horn-colour)." 



[I.ocal name : danario. 



The Ponta Delgada Musenm contains : 

 a — ('. Ponta Delgada, San Miguel. 



On the eastern and central islands of the group the Canary is more or less 

 common, but on Flores it is very thinly distributed, being only met with in small 

 scattered lots, and during onr brief visit to t^orvo only one individual was seen. 



The gardens and fields on tlie lower parts of the islands are its iavonrite re.sorts, 

 and flocks may often be seen feeding on the grassy flats near the sea, while scattered 

 jiairs a?e also met with during the day on the high heath-clad hills. They are bright, 

 lively birds, always on the move, the males constantly chasing one another or their 

 mates, and singing their delightful varied song both when at rest and on the wing. 

 With u;reatly distended throat and measured erajihatic beats of the wings they pass 

 like Larks slowly overhead, singing with all their might, and so putted up with self- 

 importance that they ajipear nearly twice their normal size. The breeding-season 

 commences early, and on March 2oth we noticed a pair building their nest in a 

 garden at Ponta Delgada. Young were fonnil on April 17th and 20th at Flores 

 and (iraciosa" res]iectively, and numeious clut<hes of eggs, some fresh and some 

 much incubated, as well as young just able to fly, were procured at Pico in the 

 middle of May. Three ajijiears to be the usual complement of eggs, but some uesta 

 contained four. 



The neativ constructed ucsl of moss, etc., lincil with feallicrs and hair, is 



