Birds of Gran Canaria. 599 



a-c. c? c^ et? San Mateo. Between 5tli-13tli Feb. '11. 



d. S . Above San Mate'o, 2800 ft. lltli Feb. '12. 



Iris dark ; bill black ; feet brown. 



Total length in the flesh 5*2-5*4 inches. 



This fine dark-breasted Redbreast is very scarce in the 

 island of Gran Canaria. The first three examples mentioned 

 were shot by a S^janiard above San Mateo and sent to me in 

 the flesh. Another was seen by one of my party on the 

 way from San Mateo to the Cumbres just Avithin the vege- 

 tation belt. Herr v. Thanner mentions it as " common " at 

 Tejeda and Moya, and says that he saw several above 

 Mogan. Certainly I never saw a Redbreast in the Pinar 

 although I kept a sharp look-out for it. 



In Jaimary 1912 a ^' Robin'' was actually seen in the 

 garden of a house between the Port and Las Palmas at sea- 

 level ; that the species should be seen so low down as this 

 is a remarkable occurrence. During a stay of two days at 

 San Mateo in February 1912 I saw several Redbreasts at 

 very close quarters. The first was singing from a tree high 

 up the hillside, and my attention was attracted to it by the 

 peculiar liquid notes which I certainly did not recognise as 

 ever having heard previously. Another was seen not far 

 away, 300 feet above San Mateo. It Avas remarkably tame, 

 and flew on to a stone within six yards of our party. Its 

 favourite haunt in the neighbourhood is on the sides of the 

 deep barranco which leads from the village towards the 

 Cumbres. Here, amidst the luxuriant growth of flowering 

 plants, cactus, and other tangled vegetation, the Redbreast 

 spends its days, seldom seen by any but those who know its 

 habits, and doubtless nesting in the many hidden recesses, 

 which aff'ord it seclusion and shelter. I have not myself 

 found its nest, but Mr. Meade-Waldo mentions that it is 

 '■' not unfrequently found placed in the branches of a tree ; 

 the number of eggs laid being two or three, occasionally 

 four." Certainly Herr von Thanner's assertion that he 

 found this bird '' very frequent everywhere on the north 

 side of the island " is far from my own experience, as I look 

 upon it as decidedly rare and very locally distributed. 



