590 Mr. D. A. Baunerman on the 



This is a dark-coloured race found in the Canary Islands 

 and Madeira. 



The Kestrel is extremely abundant throughout the island, 

 and wherever my travels in Gran Canaria took me it 

 was seldom, indeed, that one or more specimens were not 

 in sight ; perhaps they are most plentiful in the Monte 

 district, but numbers are also found in the Cumbres up to 

 the highest point, and also hunting over the wide plains 

 on the west. Several may also be seen frequenting the 

 hillsides behind the Catalina Hotel. Resident throughout 

 the year, their numbers are largely increased by migrants in 

 the spring, but whether the latter remain to breed in the 

 island I have been unable to ascertain. These birds are 

 mostly very richly coloured. They roost in the barrancos 

 wliich run back from the coast, and nest in the crannies in 

 the rocks and in the tops of palm-trees. The staple food of 

 this species in the summer consists, I believe, of lizards, 

 liundreds of which are found everywhere, but from December 

 to March, when the weather is cool, very few lizards are to be 

 found, and the Kestrels then have recourse to other food. 

 In the crop of specimen h I found a large number of black 

 ants, and in the gizzards of specimens i and k the larvee of a 

 species oi Noctna were discovered. 



MiLvus MiLVus. Common Kite. 



Milvus ictinus Thanner, Orn. Jalirb. xxi. p. 88 (1910). 



ff. ? . Cueva de las Ninas, 3000 ft. 9th Feb. '11. 



b. ?. Maspalomas"Charco" (sea-level). 29th Feb. '12. 



Iris light amber ; bill horn-coloured, base of lower man- 

 dible, cere, and gape yellow ; feet sulphur-yellow. 



Total length in the flesh 24'4 inches ; expanse of wings 

 60 inches ; wing 19 inches. 



Mr. W. P. Pycraft, who has closely examined both tlie 

 above-mentioned specimens, has kindly supplied me with the 

 following notes on the plumage : — '' Specimen a procured at 

 the Cueva de las Kinas differs conspicuously from specimen b 

 obtained at the ' Charco ' of Maspalomas in having the breast 

 of a pale, instead of a dark rust colour, and narrow instead of 



