158 Mr. r. Da Cane Godman on the Besident and 



numbers, usually keep as close together as Blackbirds*, and move 

 as if actuated by a common impulse. Their dispersion, as usual, 

 is marked, if not complete, during the breeding-season ; but the 

 flocks reassemble as soon as the yearlings are well on wing ; and 

 from this time, until the following spring, one may more often see 

 a hundred, or several hundreds, together than fall in with single 

 birds. As we have elsewhere stated, we have witnessed a 

 gathering of probably a thousand individuals, a sight that re- 

 called Dr. Latham's statement respecting flocksof twenty thousand 

 Cyanura cristata, with the thought that he would have come at 

 any rate nearer the truth, and been less deserving of Wilson's 

 sarcasm, could he have set down such figures against Gymnokitta 

 cyanocephala. 



XX. — Notes on the Resident and Migratory Birds of Madeira and 



the Canaries. By F. Du Cane Godman, F.Z.S. &c. 

 A VISIT to Madeira or the Canaries in early spring is, I think, 

 one of the most enjoyable things one can imagine. Leaving be- 

 hind the cold disagreeable weather we usually experience at that 

 time of the year in England, in rather more than a week one 

 finds one's self in a warm and genial climate, surrounded by most 

 lovely scenery and a semitropical vegetation, which much more 

 than compensate for the discomfort of the voyage. 



In March last year 1 paid a visit to these islands, and gave 

 special attention to their ornithology, making a collection of all 

 the birds I could procure; and in the following paper I propose 

 to relate the results of my observations during the excursion, 

 together with all the information I can glean from other sources, 

 so as to make it as complete as possible ; and I trust it may not 

 be without interest to the readers of ' The Ibis.' 



These two groups of islands present no new field to the na- 

 turalist ; and there are few of our countrymen, at all events, 

 who are not acquainted with the various works of Mr. Wol- 

 laston founded on his indefatigable labours and interesting 

 discoveries, the result of which has been to bring to light 

 so many hitherto unknown and remarkable forms, especially 

 amongst the Coleoptera. MM. Webb and Berthelot, too, 



* [Molothrus. — Ed.] 



