Birds of Teyieriffe. 433 



unfortunate with the Keclstart and the Stonechat, though 1 

 paid a special visit to Mercedes in search of the latter. 



Of the Canai'ian Pipit {Anthus bertheloti) I saw a great deal. 

 They are very early breeders, and the first nest, found hy 

 Major Loyd near the hotel, contained three newly hatched 

 young on the 2nd March ; while in another I found three 

 incubated eggs on the 4th of the same month. After this we 

 examined several other nests at intervals, up to the date of our 

 departure early in April. The nest is by no means easy to 

 find, being artfully concealed under a tuft of weeds in broken 

 ground. In all cases where we removed the nest we came to 

 the conclusion that the hollow or depression in which it was 

 placed had been scratched out and deepened by the birds, 

 which seems to me a curious fact. The nests resemble those 

 of our familiar Meadow Pipit, being composed of dry weed- 

 stalks and coarse grasses, lined with finer grasses and horse- 

 hair. The eggs, which average three in number (more are 

 said to be laid in a second nest later on), are also very 

 similar : greenish grey, with dark freckles all over, averaging 

 '77 by "58 inch. This is certainly the commonest of Tene- 

 riffian birds, and is to be found breeding as high as the 

 Canadas, at an elevation of some 7000 feet, as well as a few 

 feet only above the sea-level. It is a lively little bird, but 

 not, to my mind, so objectionably squeaky and irritating as 

 our Meadow Pipit. Like the latter, it has a feeble soug, and 

 may be seen singing on the wing. On approaching the site 

 of a nest the old birds sneak quietly off, threading their way 

 among: the weeds like mice, and it was seldom that we could 

 discover the nest until we had paid repeated visits to the spot. 



The Ultramarine Tit [Parus tenerifa) is exceeding com- 

 mon from the sea to the upper limit of the forest ; but I failed 

 to meet with the Great Tit in the pine trees, where it is 

 said to occur. 



Swallows {Hirundo rustica) first appeared on the 26th 

 February at Buena Vista. I saw quite a number of Martins 

 {Chelidon urbica) flying over the houses at Orotava on the 

 29th March, but did not meet with tlie species again {cf. 

 Godman, Ibis, 1872, p. 171). 



SER. V. VOL. V. 2 H 



