1922.] Trip to the Cantahrian Mountains. 343 



parts. The white spots on the secondaries are not so 

 restricted as thej are usually in specimens from southern 

 Spain. 



Dryobates medius lilianse. 



Drijohates medius liliancc Witherhy, Bull. B. 0. C. vol. xlii. 

 1922, p. 49. 



The Middle Spotted Woodpecker was fairly common at 

 Riano and Potes, but we did not see it at Panes, which is 

 perhaps at too low an elevation, thouoh ut Potes it was fairly 

 common in a valle}' only about 1500 ft. above sea-level. We 

 found that it was especially fond of walnut-trees. It was 

 much more confiding than other Woodpeckers, and we twice 

 saw one searching rotting timbers in the roof of a house. 

 Irby mentions it as abundant near Potes, but since his time 

 the presence of the Middle Spotted Woodpecker in any part 

 of the Spanish Peninsula seems to have been lost sight of. 

 It is not known to inhabit the Pyrenees, and its absence 

 between the Alps and tlie Cantabrians forms a gap in its 

 distribution which may account for the differentiation of the 

 (Jnntabrian form which I have described elsewhere. It 

 may be found in other parts of Spain, as Saunders, on the 

 authority of Guirao, says it is common in Murcia (Ibis, 

 1871, p. 66). 



Strix aluco sylvatica Shaw. 



We saw a few Tawny Owls and obtained two at Riailo, 

 but did not see or hear any Owls elsewhere. The}'^ are, 

 however, easily overlooked, and all birds as I have already 

 mentioned were very silent. 



Tawny Owls from the Spanish Peninsula are, I think, like 

 the British form, though more specimens should be examined 

 before we can be sure. Mr. W. C. Tait has very kintlly 

 sent me six from Portugal. The wings of these measure : — 

 four males 250, 255, 260, and 268 mm., and two females 

 265, 268, while the two females from Uiano measure 260 

 and 265. In size therefore they are like sylvatica, and only 

 the one male icaciies my mesisurenients (mnles 265-290, 



