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



to our favourite study, have expressed doubts as to the genuine- 

 ness of the specimens called by the name of Puffinus obscurus. 

 These entirely want the strong musky smell which is so charac- 

 teristic, as far as we know, of eggs of the whole family ; and, I 

 believe, insinuations have been occasionally uttered respecting 

 the Bantam-hens which might be kept to lay these valuable 

 objects. I confess to having been at one time among the dis- 

 believers ; and therefore I feel bound to record the fact, of which 

 I was not formerly aware, that the Dezertas are uninhabited 

 islands, and consequently that there is no domestic poultry 

 there. At the same time I wish I could hear of some ornitho- 

 logist visiting these barren rocks at the breeding-season, and 

 putting the matter for ever at rest. 



The geological relations of the existing fauna and flora of 

 the Atlantic isles and the European continent have, as far as 

 known, been treated by much abler hands than mine ; and I can 

 scarcely hope to add any reflections on the subject which are 

 worth the printing. Yet hitherto the birds of these interesting 

 groups (the only relics of an Atlantis which ever had a real ex- 

 istence) have been entirely neglected from this point of view. I 

 cannot persuade myself that an examination of their ornithology 

 would be void of result ; and I would here beg to ofi'er one i-emark 

 on the peculiar distribution of the species of the genus Fringilla, 

 as now restricted by most ornithologists. It contains six very 

 well-marked forms ; and the following list exhibits their breeding- 

 range, as well as I can ascertain : — 



1 . F. montifringilla ; Northern Europe and Asia. 



2. F. ccelehs ; Europe and Asia, from lat. 68° N. 



3. F. spodiogena ; Algeria. 



4. F. moreleti; Azores. 



5. F. tintillon^; Madeiras, Canaries, Cape de Verde 



Islands ? 



6. F. teydea; Canaries. 



Thus showing that one-half of the known species are confined 



* One of my fellow-passengers informed me that some difference was 

 observable between the specimens of this bird killed in the northern and 

 southern parts of Madeira. I hope to obtain confirmation of this. 



