1919-] Birds of the Canary Islands. 743 



middle of June, yet I am loath to believe it is a partial 

 resident even in the eastern islands. Speculation is useless 

 without further data, so I have provisionally included it 

 amongst the Occasional Visitors. 



Range. The Curlew breeds in northern and central Europe 

 wintering- in Africa south to the Cape, and in the Mediter- 

 ranean basin. 



Numenius phaeopus phseopus. Whimhrel. 



Scolopux phd'Opus Linn. Syst. Nat. 10th ed. 1758, p. 146 — 

 Type locality : Sweden. 



The Whimbrel must be considered a regular and numerous 

 Bird of Passage, and to a lesser degree a Winter Visitor ; a few 

 individuals remain in the Archipelago during the summer. 



Despite the assei-tion of Herr von Thanner, who says that 

 "the Whimbrel breeds iu Graciosa, the fishermen often 

 finding their eggs" (Orn. Jahrb. 1913, p. 190), I find it 

 difficult to accept this statement without much better proof. 

 Undoubtedly Whimbrels are present in the islands through- 

 out the year, and we have Meade-Waldo's evidence (Ibis, 

 1889, p. 4 ; 1893, p. 205) tliat "they may be seen in pairs 

 at the beginning of June,^"* but as yet no competent ornitho- 

 logist has found the eggs. My own opinion is that the 

 Whinibiel is a regular migrant in spring and autumn, and 

 that Hnding the conditions favourable a ^e\\ (possibly barren) 

 birds, arriving from the south with the spring migration, 

 remain in the islands during the summer months. Likewise, 

 when the return migration takes place in autumn, a larger 

 number of migrants remain in the islands, particularly in 

 the eastern group, throughout the winter. 



This would account for the following very variable reports 

 which different naturalists have made concerning the Whim- 

 brel in the Canary Archipelago. 



Webb and Berthelot say ''of accidental passage '' (Orn. 

 Canarienne, p. 37). 



Bolle wrote iu 1857, " killed in Canaria, Avell known on 

 the coast of Fuerteventura, mostly though in autumn and 

 winter '' (J.f. O. 1857, p. 338). 



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