﻿202 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  G. 
  Meade- 
  Waldo 
  on 
  Birds 
  

  

  99. 
  Crex 
  pratensis. 
  Land-Rail. 
  {Guion 
  de 
  Codorniz.) 
  

   A 
  few 
  Land-Rails 
  appear 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  and 
  spring. 
  

  

  They 
  are 
  most 
  frequent 
  at 
  Laguna. 
  

  

  100. 
  Gallinula 
  cHLOROPus. 
  Waterhen. 
  {Polladeagua.) 
  

   An 
  occasional 
  straggler. 
  

  

  101. 
  FuLiCA 
  ATRA. 
  Commou 
  Coot. 
  

  

  A 
  regular 
  winter 
  visitor 
  in 
  small 
  numbers 
  to 
  all 
  the 
  islands. 
  

   I 
  have 
  seen 
  several 
  walking 
  about 
  on 
  the 
  roofs 
  of 
  the 
  houses 
  

   in 
  Puerto 
  Orotava. 
  

  

  102. 
  Otis 
  undulata. 
  Houbara 
  Bustard. 
  (Abutarda.) 
  

   Resident 
  and 
  fairly 
  numerous 
  on 
  the 
  island 
  of 
  Fuerte- 
  

  

  ventura 
  ; 
  less 
  numerous 
  in 
  Lanzarote, 
  and 
  very 
  occasional 
  

   in 
  Gran 
  Canaria. 
  This 
  Bustard 
  does 
  not 
  frequent 
  the 
  most 
  

   barren 
  plains, 
  but 
  likes 
  a 
  certain 
  amount 
  of 
  low 
  scrub, 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  the 
  "ajulaga.^^ 
  This 
  is 
  generally 
  crowded 
  with 
  

   small 
  snails, 
  which 
  the 
  Bustards 
  eat 
  largely. 
  They 
  are 
  

   generally 
  rather 
  shy, 
  but 
  at 
  times 
  ridiculously 
  tame 
  and 
  stupid, 
  

   for 
  on 
  one 
  occasion 
  a 
  Bustard 
  that 
  had 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  been 
  

   trotting 
  along 
  about 
  150 
  yards 
  ahead 
  of 
  us 
  suddenly 
  sidled 
  

   round, 
  and, 
  putting 
  a 
  little 
  '^ajulaga^^bush 
  between 
  us 
  and 
  

   itself, 
  squatted. 
  When 
  we 
  came 
  up 
  it 
  moved 
  very 
  slowly 
  

   round, 
  keeping 
  its 
  head 
  towards 
  us 
  and 
  the 
  bush 
  between 
  us. 
  

   After 
  looking 
  the 
  bird 
  over 
  at 
  the 
  distance 
  of 
  five 
  yards, 
  we 
  

   drove 
  it 
  up, 
  but 
  did 
  not 
  shoot 
  it. 
  The 
  female 
  is 
  very 
  tame 
  

   at 
  the 
  nest, 
  and 
  runs 
  away 
  stooping 
  and 
  dodging. 
  If 
  put 
  on 
  

   the 
  wing 
  the 
  cock 
  generally 
  follows 
  her, 
  and 
  when 
  they 
  settle 
  

   again 
  will 
  " 
  show 
  off 
  '^ 
  to 
  her. 
  

  

  103. 
  ffimcNEMUs 
  CREPITANS. 
  Thick-kuec. 
  {Alcaravan, 
  

   Pedro 
  Luis.) 
  

  

  Common 
  in 
  suitable 
  situations 
  in 
  ail 
  the 
  islands, 
  and 
  very 
  

   abundant 
  in 
  the 
  eastern 
  islands. 
  This 
  bird 
  is 
  extremely 
  

   tame, 
  frequenting 
  and 
  breeding 
  in 
  the 
  little 
  cultivated 
  patches 
  

   and 
  gardens 
  in 
  the 
  villages 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  plains. 
  

  

  104. 
  Glareola 
  pratincola. 
  Common 
  Pratincole. 
  

   I 
  have 
  seen 
  only 
  three 
  of 
  these 
  birds. 
  

  

  