1922.] f'oUectiiu/ 7V//) ill the Canlabrian Mountains. 323 



XIX. — Results of a Collecting Trip in the Cantahrian 

 Mountains, northern Spain. By H. F. WlTHERBY, 

 M.B.O.U. 



(Plates III. & IV.) 



As scarcely any material was available from the western side 

 of northern S[>ain for comparison with birds from Portunal 

 and elsewhere in the Peninsula, I determined to make a 

 collecting trip to that region. 



Accordingly my wife and I sailed from Southampton, 

 bound for Vigo, in the Royal Mail steamer ' Arlanza ' 

 on 16 September, 1921. Crossing the Bay of Biscay on 

 17 September, wo had eight Turtle-Doves, one Spotted 

 Flycatcher, one Yellow Wagtail, one (yommon Wheatear, 

 and one Sanderling come on board, the Turtle-Doves staying 

 all day, for the most part perched with wings half spread on 

 the wireless mast. On the 18th, when sailino- down the 

 Spanish coast between La Coruna and Vigo, we saw several 

 Gannets (all "piebald"), Lai-us fusrus fuscas and Lams 

 fusciis a/finis and a few Larus anjentatus cachinnans. In 

 April 1920 the Mediterranean Herring-Gull was very plenti- 

 ful along this part of the coast (where they breed), and 

 their comparative scarcity in September may indicate an 

 autumn movement. Perhaps the most interesting birds we 

 saw on this day, however, were numbers of Pvffinus kuhlii. 

 Whether these were of the Mediterranean or the Atlantic 

 form of course I cannot say, but they were in very consider- 

 able numl)ers. It was a beautifully clear and bright dav, 

 and all the way between La Coruna and Vigo the ocean was 

 dotted with small parties of these Shearwaters. Thev were 

 constantly going down to the water and sitting on the 

 surface, evidently engaged in getting food of some kind. 

 There were a good numy porpoises al)out,and these apparently 

 caused some food to come to the surface in considerable 

 quantity as the Shearwaters constantly collected round them, 

 often as many as twenty at a time. So far as I know, 

 P. laililii does not breed north of the Berlenga Islands, off 



Y 2 



