608 Mr. D. A. Bannerman on the 



d. ? . Las Palmas, sea-level. 7tli Jan. '11. 



e. ?. Las Palmas. 21st Feb. '11. 



/. S • Santa Brigida, 1580 ft. 33r(l Feh. ^1. 



Iris brown; bill liorn- or yellowish hoin-coloiired ; legs 

 light flesh-coloured. Total length in the flesh 5'6 inches. 



Berthelot's Pipit is found from noi'th to south of Gran 

 Canaria^ and is one of the tamest possible birds imaginable, 

 hopping in front of people without the slightest fear. On 

 the highest points of the Cumbres it is quite common, 

 and I have procured specimens at 5300 ft., almost the 

 highest ground in the island. It is generally seen singly 

 or in pairs, and is particularly numerous on the Palmas 

 golf-links, where the nests may be found in numbers. 

 These little birds are remarkable for the antics with whieh 

 they try to draw one from their nests if suddenly 

 disturbed. While walking over the links on IMarch lltli 

 (1911) my attention was attracted by a Berthelot's Pi])it, 

 which suddenly appeared before me fluttering along the 

 ground as if quite unable to fly, with an apparently broken 

 wing. The little creature fluttered in and out of the 

 Euphorbia for about flfreen yards, when it took to flight. 

 I guessed it must have a nest close by, and the ruse to 

 lead me away was marvellously enacted. I had not far to 

 search, and found an extremely neat and cup-shaped nest 

 placed in a slight depression on the ground at the very 

 foot of an Euphorbia-bush ; the nest was firmly wedged in 

 amongst the branches of the Euphorbia and was composed on 

 the outside of small dried twigs, then a thick layer of dried 

 grass woven very tightly, and lined entirely with goats' hair. 



The nest contained three eggs, having the ground-colour 

 gr^eenish brown, with a ring of darker brown round the larger 

 end. The eggs were incubated about seven days. This was 

 on March 11th. Later in the month, on INJarch 18th, I 

 found two more nests placed in a hollow in the ground 

 under the shelter of an upright stone; each contained two 

 young in down. 



The nestling is covered with dark grey down, the gape 

 being brilliant light vellow in colour. 



