Birds of the Canary Islands. 437 



productive, as we were too early for the Petrels, which 

 breed here in great numbers — the only early breeder that 

 I am aware of being Puffinus obscurus, which lays at the 

 end of February and beginning of March; none of the 

 others seem to come to their holes before the end of May. 

 La Graciosa is about three miles long by one and a half 

 broad, and is flat, with three small extinct volcanoes on it ; 

 it is covered with a low scrubby bush, called by the people 

 " salada mora." The Petrels burrow at the foot of these 

 bushes, their roots preventing the sand from filling in. We 

 procured a pair of breeding Black Oyster-catchers {Hcema- 

 topus capensis) . They call them here " Corvino/' on Lan- 

 zarote "Grajo de mar," and on Fuerteventura " Cuervo 

 marino " — three different names on three adjoining islands. 

 Shrikes were not uncommon here ; they appear to be inter- 

 mediate between Lanius algeriensis and L. hemileucuras, as 

 are those on Fuerteventura; some are perfect hemileucurus. 

 The Osprey is common round these small islands, and breeds 

 on the isolated rocks and on the great precipice of El Kisco, 

 2000 feet almost sheer down, on Lanzarote. The only small 

 land-birds we saw on La Graciosa were Berthelot's Pipits, 

 Spectacled Warblers, and Common Linnets ; a few Common 

 Buzzards live in the walls of the crater of one of the volcanoes. 

 I shot one, the most miserable specimen of Buteo vulgaris I 

 ever saw. There is a fine fish-curing establishment on this 

 island, built and started at a great expense, which is fast 

 going to ruin, all the valuable plant being in an absolutely 

 neglected and rotting condition ; the fish caught were prin- 

 cipally tunnies and sardines. 



Leaving Graciosa, we crossed over to Lanzarote, and 

 walked the whole length of the island, and though we 

 kept a sharp look-out, nothing fresh appeared. I think the 

 plain adjoining " Papagayo " is the barrenest in the Canary 

 Islands ; it was too poor for Coursers, which is saying a good 

 deal. They tell me there are a few Bustards on it. We then 

 sailed across to Correlejo, in Fuerteventura, passing by the 

 island of Los Lobos. From Correlejo we walked, in two 

 days, by Oliva to Puerto Cabras. Here we embarked for 



