Mr. E. V. Harcourt on the Ornithology of Madeira. 433 



from its constant attendance upon the women engaged in the^je 

 pursuits, it has Ixcn admitted into the ranks of the sisterhood, 

 under the local title of " Lavandeira.'^ 



The Meadow Pipit {Ani/ius pratensis, Bechst.) is plentifully 

 found on the cliffs and fields near the sea, and on the serras. It 

 utters a low note, running along the ground, and never takes a 

 long flight. The natives consider this bird sacred, and have 

 some legend about its having attended the Virgin at the time 

 of the nativity ; its local name is " Corre de Caminho." 



The Green Canary [Fringilla butyracea, Linn.) is the original 

 stock of the bird so well known to us as the Yellow Canary. It 

 has been well described by Dr. Heineken *, who had ample op- 

 portunities of observing its habits throughout the year. During 

 the breeding season it is very tame, haunting fearlessly the 

 gardens in the midst of the town ; when the breeding season is 

 over, it flocks with linnets and other birds, and it then chiefly 

 frequents the fields and other less populous parts : its song is 

 beard during the greater part of the year. The price of a good 

 singing canary, either in Madeira or the Canary Islands, varies 

 from five to nine shillings, so that, in fact, it may be bought 

 cheaper in London. The reason of this is, the difficulty which 

 is experienced in rearing the wild birds from the nest, and the 

 fact that, although an old bird will often sing soon after it is 

 placed in captivity, it does not long survive its loss of freedom. 

 The cross between the wild and the tame canary seems to pro- 

 duce a bird which is both physically and vocally stronger than 

 its domesticated ancestors. 



The Goldfinch {Fringilla carduelis, Linn.) is very common, and 

 difi'ers in no respect from our own. 



The Ring-Sparrow [Frinyilla petronia,\Axm.) is universally met 

 with in Madeira, on the bleak serras, on trees in the centre of 

 the town, on rocks by the sea, &c. ; thus differing in habits, 

 though in nothing else, from the Ring-Sparrow of Eui'ope. It 

 is the only indigenous sparrow in the island. 



The " Buff-breasted Chaffinch " {Fringilla tintillon, Webb and 

 Berth.) is nearly identical with the bird figured by Webb and 

 Berthelot in their work on the Canary Islands. The Portuguese 

 name for it is " Tentilhao." It is very common in Madeira, and 

 its habits are very familiar ; it is occasionally seen in cages, 

 although possessed of no singing powers. I have called it the 

 " Buff-breasted Chaffinch,^^ not being aware of its yet having 

 obtained any other English name. 



The Greater Redpole, or Linnet {Fringilla cannabina, Linn.), is 

 here very abundant : as has been before remarked, it consorts, 



* Zool. Jouni. No. 17- Art. 1/. 



