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



having the red breast or white rump, which last character is also 

 shared by the female. It is therefore necessary to confer on the 

 present bird a new name, and 1 have chosen one which is, I trust, 

 sufficiently expressive, as the accompanying figure will show. 



In habits the Bullfinch of the Azores resembles our P. vul- 

 garis, feeding principally upon insects and the buds of trees. 

 I believe that it is confined to the mountainous parts of St. 

 Michael's, where it is tolerably abundant. It is so tame 

 that it takes but little notice of the report of a gun, and I shot 

 thirteen individuals in the same poplar tree in a few minutes. 

 I know nothing of its breeding-habits, as I was not in the island 

 at the right time of year, and it is difficult to obtain accurate 

 information from the inhabitants. 



Serinus hortulanus, Koch. " Canario." 



Found in abundance throughout the Azores. It frequents the 

 cultivated lands, where it feeds on the seed-crops, and is espe- 

 cially destructive to the flax. It is by no means a bad songster, 

 and is therefore often caught and tamed, a great many being 

 sold on board vessels which touch at the islands for provisions. 

 In Fayal these birds congregate towards evening in considerable 

 numbers about a small hill near Horta, and fly across in a body 

 to the island of Pico ; for what reason I do not know, as there 

 is no want of trees in the neighbourhood. I have compared my 

 specimens with some from Algiers, Tunis, and Sicily. The 

 birds from the Azores are rather darker in plumage, slightly 

 stouter, and have stronger legs and beaks, but there is scarcely 

 difference enough to separate them specifically. 



Sturnus vulgaris, Linnaeus. " Esturninho." 

 Plentiful throughout all the islands of the archipelago. It 

 breeds principally in the sea-cliffs, and is precisely similar to 

 European examples. When vines were more cultivated it was 

 much destroyed, as it was said to feed upon the grapes and to 

 do much mischief in the vineyards ; lately, however, it has not 

 been persecuted, and has greatly increased in numbers. 



Dryobates minor (Linnseus). " Picapoa." 

 This bird is very uncommon, but is occasionally met with in 

 the mountains in St. Michael's, and, I believe, also in Terceira. 



