Philip Gosse — Birds of the Balearic Islands



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NOTES ON THE BIRDS OE THE

BALEARIC ISLANDS

Bv Philip Gosse, M.B.O.U.


The following observations on the birds of some of the islands of

the Balearic group are, 1 fear, far from complete. They are the

result of a few weeks’ rather hurried trip to the Islands of Mallorca,

Iviza, and Formentera. The Island of Menorca we did not have time

to visit. Short and incomplete as these notes are, I think they will

show that there is plenty of work to be done by an ornithologist in

all these islands, which in the month of April at all events swarm with

small birds.


Arriving at Palma, the capital of Mallorca, on April 1 my com¬

panion, Mr. H. Willford, and I went by train to the town of Puebla,

and thence by diligence to the port of Alcudia, which is in a large bay

at the extreme north-east corner of the island. The country here

consists of marshes with stunted pines, shrubs, and clumps of coarse

ground, and close to the sea-shore rough sandy land ; then cultivated

land, mostly walled orchards of vines, almonds, and olive-trees.

Further inland we come to the montana— steep, stony, littered,

uncultivated hills covered with pines.


We stayed altogether eight days at Alcudia, and then returned

to Palma and took a steamer to Iviza, the capital of the island of the

same name, a voyage of some 70 miles ; Iviza lying about half-way

between Mallorca and the Spanish port of Alicante. While in Iviza

we spent six days at the delightful village of Santa Eulalia, on the

east coast. This place was unique in having a stream of fresh water,

which I think accounted for the large number of birds found there.


The last island to be visited was Formentera, about 10 miles in

length, and 18 south of Iviza ; it is dead flat except at the south-east

end, which has a high hill covered with big trees. A good deal of

corn is still cultivated, from which the island got its name.


We only had time for three days here, and, as I was ill half the

while, I did not have many opportunities of collecting birds; but from

what we saw I think that probably Formentera would prove the most



