Birds of Gran Canaria. 587 



tliis species or not. HeiT von Tlianner states tliat this Duck 

 "undoubtedly breeds at Maspalonias," but liis evidence 

 does not seem very conclusive. Other species of Ducks 

 certainly visit the " Charco" occasionally. 



SuLA BAssANA. Gaunct. 



Gannets undoubtedly wander to the shores of Gran 

 Canaria occasionally, but are not often noticed. 



Neophron percnopteuus. Egyptian Vulture. 

 Neophron percnopterus Thanner, Orn. Jahrb. xxi. p. 86 

 (1910). 



a. (^ . Aj^uiines. 22nd Feb. '12. 



b. ? . Maspaloinas Village. 25th Feb. '12. 



Iris dark orange ; bill — tip black, base of mandible bright 

 yellowish orange ; feet yellow. 



Total length in the flesh 25*2 inches ; expanse of wings 

 59'5 inches. Weight in the flesh of specimen {a) 4 lbs. 

 71 oz., {b) 4 lbs. 8 oz. 



Egyptian Vultures are found throughout the island. In 

 the neighbourhood of Las Palmas they are very plentiful. 

 Several of these unwieldy-looking birds nest and roost in 

 the barrancos just above " the Catalina/^ and spend much of 

 the day wheeling in hugh circles above the golf-links. la 

 the evenings they fly down to the beach, where they may be 

 very closely observed walking just below the windows of the 

 Beach Club, and shewing no fear wliatsoever. Up in the 

 hills they are not so easily obtained, unless one chances to 

 disturb them when feeding. They appeared to be plentiful 

 in every part of the island that I visited, and were very 

 numerous on the plains south of Aguimes. The two which 

 I procured were both fine adult birds. The nest is a clumsy 

 structure built on a ledge of rock and generally very hard 

 to reach. These Vultures are indescribably filthy eaters 

 and do an enormous amount of good in scavenging. 



Haliaetus albicilla. Eagle. 



On 23rd of December, 1908, while riding from the village 

 of San Mateo to Teror I noticed a large bird high up in 



