574 Mr. J. H. Stonlionse : [Ibis. 



(lays at a time were paid to the iKMolilxJiirliood oE the Lao-nna 

 (le la Janda, and the Retin 11 ills. Notes on niioration were 

 regularly made, and it was hoped that constant watching at 

 the Eiiropa Lighthouse, Gibraltar, would give good results ; 

 but Ihe nature of the light (double occulting with red and dark 

 sectors), and still more the meteorological conditions which 

 ])revail in the usually clear atmosphere of the Straits, have 

 rendered the return a mengre one. "" Bird Nights " were few 

 and far between, and it was only occasionally that a bird 

 struck the l.mtern. It is possible that were the observations 

 continued over a series of years, valuable information might 

 beobtaiiKnl, and more so if collaboration could be carried out 

 with the lighthouses at Capes Spartel and St. Vincent, where, 

 it is said, that at times many birds are observed. For some at 

 ])rcsent inexplicable reiison the Europa light was only attrac- 

 tive to birds when the wind was westerly. AVlien migrants 

 were seen on the liock after an easterlv wind, even though 

 the meteorological conditions seemed favourable, the invari- 

 able report from the lighthouse was, that none had been seen 

 in the rays. 



Attention w as eliiefl}' given to the Passeres, and owing to 

 want of time no skins of the larger birds were preserved. 

 With regard to these no information was obtained which is 

 not already recorded in Irby's ' Ornithology of the Straits 

 of Gibraltai-." The more one tries to do ornithological work 

 in southern Spain, the more one must admire the results 

 obtained by that excellent ornithologist, whose earlier observ- 

 ations, at all events, were made from the same base as that 

 from which I worked and under much more difficult 

 conditions as to transport. 



It has been assumed that the 12 to 15 miles stretch of 

 water which lies between southern Spain and Morocco, is a 

 well-defined boundarj' line between the ranges of many sub- 

 specific forms of birds. The result of these observations is 

 to dissipate that theory to a considerable extent : the Haw- 

 finch, Dartford Warbler, Fantail Warbler, Wren, Blackbird, 

 llobin, and ])robably the Great Tit, Mistle-Thrush, and Martin, 

 formerlv considered subspecifically different, must now be 



