chap. VI.] REPTILES. 123 



belly, and uses its curious shaped bill in climbing up the 

 rocks. 



The Angel Petrel of Heineken is said to have the tail 

 slightly forked, and to differ from the other smaller petrels in 

 having no white about the rump or flanks. 



The Bulwer's Petrel has been described by Sir W. Jar- 

 dine*; it is very common on the Dezerta Islands ; when ap- 

 proached it emits a highly offensive matter. Sir W. Jardine 

 says, " It is easily distinguished from any other by having the 

 two centre tail feathers elongated, as in the genus Lestris, 

 and not even or forked like the other petrels.'' It is probably 

 identical with the angel petrel. 



There is another petrel called by the natives " Roque de 

 Castro," and pronounced " Koque de Crasto," which is like- 

 wise an inhabitant of the Dezerta Islands ; it differs from 

 Leach's petrel, to which it is closely allied, in being larger ; 

 it has a shorter wing and shorter tarsus, though its entire 

 length is greater ; it has. also a square tail instead of a forked 

 one. It measures seven inches and a half entire length ; 

 from the carpus to the end of the wing, five inches and three- 

 quarters ; tarsus, three-quarters of an inch. I have called it 

 Thalassidroma castro, as I am not aware that it has ever 

 been described before. 



REPTILES. 



There are no venomous reptiles in the island. A brown 

 lizard (Lacerta duges, Edw.) is to be seen on every wall. 

 These are very destructive to vineyards. Frogs have been in- 

 troduced of late years. 



* Sir W. Jardine on the Birds of Madeira, Edin. Journ. of Nat. and 

 Geog. Science, Jan., 1830, p. 245, and Illustrations of Ornithology, by Jard. 

 and Selb. 



G 2 



