186 Mr. A. Newton's two Days at Madeira. 



Of the ninety-nine birds included in Mr. Vernon Harcourt's 

 latest and most complete list {' Ann. & Mag. Nat, Hist.' June 

 1855, 2nd ser. vol. xv. pp. 430-438), only one, Procellaria 

 pacifica, Aud. (if that be a good species, and rightly identified, 

 which I think open to doubt), appears to be a straggler from the 

 New World ; but three are to be considered African — Musophaga 

 africana, Porphyrio alleni, and Procellaria mollis^; while /oMr are 

 given which are common and peculiar to the neighbouring 

 Atlantic islands — Fringilla hutyracea, F. tintillon, Cypselus uni- 

 color, and Columba trocaz. To these latter may probably be added 

 Anthus herthelotii, first distinguished by Dr. Bolle (' Ibis,' 1862, 

 pp. 343-348, and ' Journ. f. Orn.' 1862, pp. 357-360) as 

 distinct from A. jjratensis, under which name he supposes that 

 it figures in Mr. Vernon Harcourt's list, and making therefore 

 five species which are not inhabitants of other parts of the world. 

 There is besides one species which, as far as is known, is confined 

 to Madeira only — Regulus maderensis'\ . The remaining eighty - 

 nine have never been accounted otherwise than identical with 

 European species. 



It is a very true remark of that prince of observers in natural 

 history, Gilbert White, that "that district produces the greatest 

 variety which is the most examined." Hence I cannot but infer 

 that the species of birds to be found in the Madeiras are much 

 more numerous than even Mr. Vernon Harcourt's catalogue 

 shows. I have the greater confidence in this belief from infor- 

 mation given me by a gentleman resident in those islands. He 

 told me he had himself, though paying no particular attention 

 to the subject, met with several species, of which he did not 

 know the names, not included in that list. Islands situated at 

 a distance from other lands seem to be much resorted to by 



* This species, although figured by Mr. Gould in his ' Birds of Austra- 

 lia ' (vol. vii. pi- 60), probably only occurs in Australian waters as a strag- 

 gler. It is stated by him to be " very abundant from the 20th to the 40th 

 degrees of S. lat." (' Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist.' vol. xiii. p. 364). Its only 

 known breeding-place, as far as I am aware, is on the Dezertas, whence my 

 friend Dr. R. T. Frere has had many specimens. 



t Mr. Darwin appears to have overlooked this decidedly distinct species, 

 when he states (' Origin of Species,' p. 3.91) that " Madeira does not possess 

 one peculiar bird." 



