Mr. F. Du Cane Godman on the Birds of the Azores. 95 



Azores. It was much exhausted, but he kept it alive on salt 

 pork for three or four days. 



TuRDUS MERULA, Linnseus. " Melro." 



Frequents the mountain-districts rather than the gardens and 

 low country. It is very common, but shy. The note always 

 struck me as harsher and louder than our Blackbird's, but I 

 find no difference in the size or form of the two birds. 



fORiOLUS GALBULA, Linnasus. 



Whilst I was in Flores a bird I believe to have been of this 

 species was caught and killed by some boys, who plucked all its 

 feathers out and threw it away. I did not hear of it till the 

 following day, when I went immediately to the village, but could 

 procure no more than its tail- and wing-feathers, from which, 

 together with the description I received, I do not hesitate to 

 attribute it to this species. 



Erythacus rubecula (Linnseus). " Avinagreira." 

 Though common in the eastern and central groups, the Red- 

 breast does not occur in the two western islands. Through the 

 kindness of some of my friends I have been able to compare my 

 specimens with examples from Algeria, Tunis, and Southern 

 Italy, with which I find that they exactly agree in their light- 

 coloured plumage. Mr. Gould showed me one he shot in Tene- 

 riffe, which is precisely similar to our British and darker form. 



Sylvia atricapilla (Linnseus). " Toutinegro." 

 Abundant in the lower lands throughout the islands. A cu- 

 rious variety is not unfrequently met with, having the black 

 marking on the head extending to the shoulders and round 

 under the throat. I only saw one individual, which was in a 

 cage with a common Blackcap. It appeared to be slightly lar- 

 ger, though in other respects the same, with the exception, of 

 course, of the dark markings. I was told that some individuals 

 have the whole of the under parts of the body black. The 

 story current in the Azores with regard to them is, that, when 

 the parent lays more than four eggs, one bird always proves to 

 be this variety*. In Fayal it is known by the name "^ Avina- 



* [This variety is doubtless the same as that mentioned by Heineken 



