730 Mr. D. A. Bannerman on the [Ibis, 



Mercedes woods. Belle's notes are to the same efi'ect (J.f.O. 

 1855, p. 177). These observations cover the period between 

 the years 1810-1857. 



Next it is mentioned by Cabrera (Catalogo, p. 58), wlio 

 for many years had studied the birds of Tenerile and pub- 

 lished his 'Mist" in 1893, as a regular winter migrant. 

 Meade-Waldo found it a regular winter visitor to Tenerife 

 but in irregular numbers, sometimes very numerous about 

 Laguna (Ibis, 1893, p^ 204) ; he also observed it in 

 Fuerteventura (Ibis, 1889, p. 509), and saw a bird in Tenerife 

 on 21 November, 1888 (MS. diaries). Von Thanner, who 

 has resided for a number of years in Tenerife, gives the 

 following account (Nov. Zool. xi. 1904, p. 431) of the 

 migrations of the Snipe in that island : — " In the spring of 

 the year 1901 tliere was such a continuous heavy rain that 

 the ditches of the Laguna plain overflowed and in many 

 places formed lakes. This district with its accompanying 

 reeds attracted large numbers of Snipe (G. gaUinago). 

 Single examples of these appear every year, but in such 

 numbers only in particularly wet years. In my opinion 

 these solitary migrants are only single individuals of a large 

 flight which stay a longer or shorter time according to the 

 conditions which they find." 



All the above notes refer to the migration of the Snipe 

 in the island of Tenerife. 



Records from the other islands are not so numerous, as 

 undoubtedly the character of the country, especially in the 

 eastern group, is mostly unsuitable. There is one district, 

 however, in Gran Canaria where the Snipe can find a happy 

 feeding-ground, in the '* Charco '^ of Maspalomas, which is 

 fully described in 'The Ibis,"" 1912, p. 564 ; here 1 have shot 

 the Common Snipe in February (Ibis, 1912, p. 565), and 

 doubtless whenever a flight passes through this island a lew 

 would be found there. 



In the eastern islands the Snipe has been observed by 

 Polatzek, who writes : — '' GaUinago gallinago is a regular, 

 often frequent, bird of passage. I found it in Fuerteventura 

 from February until the beginning of March as a winter 



