1919-] Birds of the Canary Islands. 475 



Von Thanner is here only discussing the western islands 

 Tenerife and Gran Canaria when he says that, after 

 hreeding in the winter, U. e. pulchra leaves the island. 

 It may^ therefore, he that there are two forms of Hoopoe 

 in the Archipelago (judging hy their habits) ; but I do not 

 admit this yet, until more skins can be examined. 



If this turns out to be the case, then 



(a) The resident bird must be U. epops fuerteventurcB 



Polatzek, which lives throughout the year in 

 Fuerteventura and Lanzarote (in the Eastern 

 Group) ; some of these birds visit the coasts of 

 Tenerife and Gran Canaria (in the Western 

 Group) in the winter, where they breed, returning 

 to the Eastern islands after nesting is finished. 



(b) The typical form U. epops epops appears to arrive 



from Eui'ope and Africa in March and April, 

 breeds in all the islands, and departs in the autumn, 

 a few remaining in the islands throughout the 

 year. 



Range beyond the Archipelago. 



The European Hoopoe (£/. e. epops) inhabits the greater 

 part of Europe; but is more abundant in the south. It 

 extends to India and breeds in northern Africa, extending 

 its range south to Senegambia in winter. 



Family Alcedinid^e. 



Alcedo ispida. Kingfisher, 

 [or Alcedo ispida pallida.] 



[Alcedo pallida Brehm, Vogelfaug, 1855, p. 51 — Type 

 locality : Egypt.] 



The Kingfisher can now only be considered a Rare Visitor 

 to the Canary Islands, even if it has not entirely ceased to 

 occur. 



Until a specimen of the Kingfisher is actually killed in 

 the Canaries, it will be impossible to determine whether it 

 is the typical European species or the North African sub- 

 species {A. i. pallida) which visits the Archipelago from 



SER. XI. — VOL. I. 2l 



