1919-] Birds of Ihe Canary Islands. 709 



appears frequently in very rainy winters probably refer to the 

 western islands ; but in this connection it must be remarked 

 that Bolle wrote, " In the spring of 1851 1 many times saw 



pairs of ducks on the coasts of Fuerteventura I cannot 



tell what species" (J. f. O. 1855, p. 179). 



Range. The Mallard breeds throughout Europe, in north 

 Africa and the Azores, and in Asia east to Japan. In 

 winter it is found in Africa, south to the Tropic of Cancer_, 

 and in India. 



Anas angustirostris. Marbled Duck. 



Anas angustirostris Menetr. Cat. Rais. Cauc. 1832, p. 58, 

 no. 205 — Type locality : Lenkoran. 



The Marbled Duck is one of the least known Ducks of 

 the Canary Islands, and does not fall easily into any of the 

 groups into which we arc placing tbe rest of the Ornis. 

 It may eventually have to be considered a partial resident 

 as it has been known to l)reed in the islands, and may remain 

 throughout the year. As nothing is known of its migratory 

 habits I can only include it in this list as an Occasional Visitor 

 which has not been known to breed since Bolle recorded the 

 fact in 1857. 



BoUe's account of its nesting is therefore of considerable 

 interest. He wrote : "This duck, so common in Algeria, is 

 the only one of its genus which lives in Canaria as a 

 breeding bird. In May I saw them with their young ones 

 in the ponds surrounded with rushes and water plants at 

 the 'Charco' " (J. f. O. 1857, p. 348). 



■ The bird is not recorded again until Cabrera's list was 

 published, in which he states that he had a specimen in his 

 collecti(m from Laguna and cites the bird as an occasional 

 migrant under the uiixne of Querquedula angustirostris (Cata- 

 logo, p. 69). 



That A. angustirostris still frequents the remarkable 

 locality known as the " Charco '^ in Gran Canaria has been 

 proved of late years by Major Smeed, Herr von Thanner, 

 and myself, all on diiferent occasions. Thanner saw the 

 Marbled Duck there in February 1909 (Orn. Jahrb. 1910, 



SER. XI VOL. I. 3d 



