Birds of the Canary Islands. 513 



menced to sit. Both the Rock Sparrow and the Chaffinch 

 were numerous, the latter swarming everywhere. When no 

 other bird was to be seen, Phylloscopus fortunatus, which here 

 appears to have dark legs, was sure to be in sight, from the 

 Retama on the Cumbre to the sea-shore. The Canary was 

 in great numbers and iu very large flocks at a high elevation, 

 although in the valleys, and even up to 4000 feet, they were 

 breeding and had young on the wing. 



The Blackcap [Sylvia atricapilla) is common, as in all the 

 western islands, and the black-throated melanistic variety 

 (S. heinekeni) is not at all uncommon in the Caldera ; this is 

 curious, as it does not seem to be found anywhere else. The 

 inhabitants value them highly, asking five dollars each for 

 caged birds. The Spectacled Warbler (/S. conspicillata) and 

 the Sardinian Black-headed Warbler (-S. ?we/awoce/>^a/a) were 

 generally distributed, the latter breeding at 5000 feet. Ber- 

 thelot's Pipit, although to be seen in almost every locality, 

 was apparently much scarcer than in the other islands that I 

 have visited. The Common Bunting, the Linnet, which had 

 a red breast, as iu the other western islands, and the Gold- 

 finch were all fairly numerous. 



Quails were calling in every field, but, strange to say, there 

 is no Partridge in the islaud. They have been introduced 

 several times from Gomera, where they swarm, but they do 

 not thrive and soon die out. 



There is a very large extent of cumbre, which looks admi- 

 rably adapted to Caccahis petrosa. We did not come across 

 the Great Spotted Woodpecker [Picus major), and we were 

 a good deal in the pines, of which there is a great extent. 

 It may easily be there, as we had not much time to look, but 

 all I asked were ignorant of either the name " Peto " or 

 " Carpintero," the names by which it is known here in 

 Tenerife. 



The Raven is common, especially on the south-east side, 

 and although I knew that the Chough [Pyrrhocorax graculus) 

 was found in La Palma, I had nsver expected to see this bird 

 so numerous. It is exceedingly common from the sea to the 

 cumbre, and in flocks, like our own Rook at home. It is very 



