1922.] Trip to the Cantabrian Mountains. 341 



Erithacus rubecula rubecula (L.). 



Robins were abundant in all the woods, and eight obtained 

 are like the typical form, while Portuguese birds are like the 

 British E. r. melojyJiilus. 



Prunella modularis modularis (L.). 



Hedge-Sparrows were scarce and had a liking for high 

 ground where there were small bushes, though we also saw 

 a very few lower down near Panes. In Portugal we also 

 found a number high up on the Serra da Estrolla, but they 

 were also present quite low down near Oporto. Three 

 which we shot at Riaiio and Panes are not quite so dark as 

 Portuguese birds, which have been separated as P. m. obscura. 



Troglodytes troglodytes troglodytes (L.). 

 Wrens were not at all common. They are of the tj'pical 

 form as are Portuguese birds. 



Cinclus cinclus cinclus (L.). 



Dippers wero very abundant on all the streams from about 

 3500 ft. at Riaiio to nearly sea-level at Panes. We collected 

 a large series, which 1 have very carefully compared with 

 equallv good series of C. c. pyrenaiciis and C. c. cinclus, and 

 find that these Cantabrian birds are indistinguishable from the 

 Scandinavian. C. c. pijrenaicus is certainly very nearly allied 

 and there is slight individual variation, but the series of 

 autumn skins of C. c. pyrenaicus at Tring is so good that I 

 have no hesitation in stating that the Cantabrian birds arc 

 distinctly darker (black-brown) on the crown, mantle, and 

 back. As in C. c. cinclus and C. c. pyrenaicus^ there is some- 

 times a little dark chestnut on the belly, which is otherwise 

 very black. This surprising result provides an interesting 

 problem, especially in conjunction with the fact that the few 

 skins available of Dippers from the Sierra Guadarrama in 

 middle Spain and the Sierra Nevada in south Spain seem 

 indistinguishable from C. c. aquaticus, a form with much 

 paler upper-parts and a chestnut belly, which inhabits France 

 and Germany. We thus have in Spain two " repetitions "' 

 of forms separated geographicall}' by other forms. The 



