1 919] Birds of tJie Canary Islands. 757 



Huh. in Archipelago, 



Western Group. ~\ 'V\\c coasts of all the islands, prin- 

 Eastern Group. > ciiially breeding on Roque del Este 

 Older islets. J and Anaga rocks. 



The status of this Herring-Gull in the Canary Islands 

 has not much changed since Meade-Waldo wrote (Ibis, 

 1893, p. 206) : ''This is the common resident Gull. It 

 breeds in all the islands."^ I question however whether it 

 now breeds in all the islands. 



Bolle is evidently referring to this species (J. f. O. 1857, 

 p. 34; 1) under Lams argen tains, where he notes that it is 

 frequent around Canaria, and breeds undev the bushes of the 

 dunes of Muspalomas, and can nearly always be seen sitting 

 on the boards and barrels in the harbour of Santa Cruz. 



I have included it as a partial resident as its numbers are 

 certainly augmented in the winter, and the birds which 

 breed in the Archipelago probably range far afield. 



Range beyond the Archipelago. 



The Yellow-legged Herring-Gull is the common Gull of 

 the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas, ranging east to 

 Lake Baikal. It breeds in all the north Atlantic islands. 

 In winter it ranges down the Avest coast of iVfrica to Sene- 

 gambia, and according to the B. 0. U. List (p. 253) 

 apparently reaches Angola. 



Larus fuscus fuscus. Continental Lesser Black-backed 



Gull. 

 I Air us fuscus Linn. Syst. Nat. 10th ed. 1758, p. 136 — 

 Type locality : Sweden. 



A Rare Visitor. 



As might be expected the Eastern (dark-backed) race of 

 the Lesser Black-backed Gull is a vei'y rare straggler to the 

 Canarian seas. 



Meade-AValdo shot a single example at Orotava in 

 Tenerife on 21 January, 1888. The skin is now in the 

 Britisli Museum. In his List (Ibis, 1893, p. 206), his note 

 ''there are generally a few of these gulls about in winter" 

 obviously refers to Larus fuscus affinis. 



SEii. xr. — VOL. I. 3 G 



