1919-] Birds of the Catianj Islands. 460 



in 1893 as liaviiig been killed near Santa Cruz de Tenerife 

 (Ibis, 1893, p. 195). 



Cabrera, who published his "Catalogue^' in the same 

 year, notes that he shot one in May on the coast of Tenerife 

 (Catalogo, p. 36). 



Both these references doubtless refer to the same example. 



It -was M. melba and. not the tropical African race M. m. 

 africanus^ which was recorded from the Canary Islands. 

 The bird which Cabrera shot is said to have been obtained 

 in May, in which month f M. m. melba is breeding in 

 northern Africa J. 



Since this paper has been in type Dr. Hartert has kindly 

 forw^arded to me a letter dated 27/x./18, which he has 

 received from Herr von Thanner. In this letter Herr von 

 Tlianiier writes : — " Some days ago (16,/x./18) I saw eight 

 Micropus melba [in Tenerife]."' This is a most valuable 

 record . 



Range. The typical European species, M. m. melba of the 

 Pyrenees and Alps, ranges as far as north-west Africa, where 

 it is known to breed. 



Micropus apus apus. Common Swift. 



Hirundo apus Linn. Syst. Nat. 10th ed, 1758, p. 192 — 

 Type locality : Sweden. 



Polatzek says that the Common Swift is a fre([uent Bird 

 of Passage in the Canaries (Orn. Jahrb, 1909, p. 119). 

 He does not confuse it with either of the breeding species 

 {M. murinas brehnorum or M. u. unicolor). 



* The South African race M. m. africanus ranges as far north as 

 Kilimanjaro on the east ; there are no specimens from the central 

 west African coast, but it is quite certain that this bird never ranges 

 as far north as the Canary Islands. We can therefore safely refer 

 the birds from Tenerife to the typical European species. 



t Hartert received fresh eggs taken at Constantine (western Algeria) 

 on 21 May, 1914 (Nov. Zool. xxii. 1915, p. 76). 



X Tschusi has separated the northern African race as M. m. tuneti as 

 it is said to be very pale, but Hartert (Nov. Zool. xxii. 1915, p. 76) 

 doubts whether a northern African race can be separated, and I agree 

 with him. 



