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



Range. L. f. fuscus breeds in Scandinavia eastwards. In 

 winter it visits the eastern Mediterranean ranging to the 

 head of the Persian Gulf. 



Mr. P. R. Lowe (Bull. B. O. C. vol. xxix. p. 1.20) suggests 

 that it migrates southwards across Europe, possibly by way 

 of the rivers Vistula and Dniejier, to winter in the eastern 

 Mediterranean, Egypt, and the Red Sea. 



Larus fuscus affinis. British Lesser Black-backed Gull. 



Larus affinis Reinhardt, Vidensk. Meddel. Kjobenhavn 

 for 1853, 1854, p. 78 — Type locality : Greenland. 



A Winter Visitor to the Canary Islands. It may also 

 prove to be a Bird of Pas^sage in small numbers. 



The Lesser Black-backed Gull (undoubtedly the above 

 subspecit s) has been recorded by old writers^ such as Busto, 

 Ledru, and Serra, from the islands, 



Cabrera believed it to be a Bird of Passage, common in 

 winter (Catalogo, p. 66). 



According to Meade-Waldo there are a few about in winter 

 (Ibis, 1893, p. 206, et 1889, p. 12), while Polatzek con- 

 siders it ''frequent in the winter" (Oin. Jahrb. 1909, 

 p. 133), his remarks doubtless referring to tiie Gull in the 

 eastern islands, while ]Meade-Waldo's notes refer mostly to 

 the western islands. 



Miss Annie Jackson wrote to me that she had seen this 

 Gull at Orotava on the 1st of April, doubtless one of the 

 birds which had wintered farther south on the west coast 

 returning north to breed. Whether these West African birds 

 pass through the Archipelago regularly we have not enough 

 evidence to show. 



When I wrote my paper on the Birds of Gran Canaria 

 (Ibis, 1912, p. 575), I thought that this Gull would very 

 probably be found to breed in the Archipelago. It seems, 

 however, to be only a winter visitor and possibly a rare 

 bird of passage. In February 1912 I saw a number of 

 these birds in Las Palmas harbour, both adult and im- 

 mature; they used to roost in the cliffs beyond Confital 

 Bay and were still present on March 11, when I left the 



