1920.] Birds of the Cununj Islands. 125 



));i|k;i' (.1. f. O. 1855, p. 17'jj conriised tlie Turtle Dove which 

 came rcj^ulaily to tli(; ifslaiids wiili Chalcopelia afra (Linn.). 

 Bolle in his last contrihntion (^ . f. O. ]857, p. 3':}]) corrected 

 his mistake, hut fell into the (Tror of believing there were 

 two sp(;cies of Tuille iJoves breeding in the Archipelago — 

 Strejjfojjelia I. lurtur in the western group, and Sireptopelia 

 {Turtur) senegalensis (\n\\\\.) in I'uerteveutura. 



There is, however, only one species found breeding in tlie 

 Canary Islands, and tliis is the form here recorded. To this 

 species the notes of all former writers must apply. I have 

 myself camped on the Manrique's property* at La Pena, 

 which swarms with Turtle Doves, but they are all Hireplo- 

 pelia turtur turtur as in the western islands. 



The Turtle Dove arrives in the Canary Islands in sjiring, 

 the first recorded date being March 13 when von Thanner 

 noted (Oin. Jalirb. 1910, p. \)H) an arrival of this species in 

 the south of (iran Canaria, this being an excepti(;nally early 

 date. 



Polatzek noted (Orn. Jahrb. 1909, p. loj the first arrivals 

 on 2nd of April, 1902, in Lanzarote, but according to this 

 observer these birds passed thrcnigh the island, while the 

 breeding birds followed later — probably these birds j)as;«ed 

 on to the western islands of the Archipelago. 



Meade-Waldo procured birds in Fuerteventura near Santa 

 ('atarina on the 28tli of March (MS. note-books) ; and 

 iiolle found them especially numerous at Jandia in that 

 island in Ai)ril (.). f. O. 1855, p. 173;. 



Webb and iierthelot considered that the Turtle Dove did 

 not arrive until after M:iy or sometimes at the end of June 

 (Orn. Canai'ienne, j). 28j. 



If this was the case between 1828 ami 1830 it certainly is 

 not so at the present day. April is probably the month 

 when most of the breeding birds arrive. 



The Turtle Dove breeds in all the laige islands, but 



appears to be specially numerous in Gran Canaria and 



Tenerife; here it frequents the orchards, sheltered bai'rancos, 



and even pi'ivate gardens, and builds its nest in palms, 



* 'i'he c-jtate iiientioiied bv Jiulle. 



