1 9^9- J Birds of the Canary Islands. 465 



Tliey may visit the Rio de Oru, the birds of which are so 

 little known, or they may proceed farther south to 

 Damaraland. It will be noted that the two birds from 

 Damaraland were shot in November and December respec- 

 tively — months when they are absent from the Canaries, — 

 and this may prove the real clue to their whereabouts 

 during these months. 



Micropus unicolor unicolor. Madeiran Black Swift. 



Cypselus unicolor Jardine, Edinb. Jouru. Nat. & Geogr. 

 Sci. i. 1830, p. 242, pi. 6— Type locality : Madeira. 



The Madeiran Black Swift must come under the heading 

 V)f a Summer Visitor, although it is only absent from the 

 Archipelago during part of the year. 



Hab. ill Archipelago. 



Western Group : Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Palma, 



Gomeraj Hierro "^. 

 Eastern Group) : Fuerteventura. 

 Outer islets : No records. 



We have noAV considerable material with which to sum 

 up what is known of the migrations of the Black Swift in 

 the Canary Islands. 



It would appear from the majority of reports that M. u. 

 unicolor is the first Swift to arrive in the Archipelago, 

 coming earlier than the Pale Swift [M. in. brehinorum) . 



It seems to begin to arrive in January, but even as early 

 as the 24th of December flocks have been recorded from 

 Tenerife by Meade-Waldo, and Koenig saw it in Fuerte- 

 ventura in this month also. February seems to be the 

 month when the main body returns (although the time may 

 vary slightly in the different islands and in different years). 

 The birds probably breed in all the western islands of the 

 Archipelago, particularly in Tenerife and Gran Canaria. 

 Specimens which I shot on I May, 1913, had well-developed 

 eggs in the ovary, while Webb and Berthelot heard the 

 young chirping in the nest during the first week in May. 



*•' There is no particular record from this island, but the bird is sure 

 to occur there. 



