538 My. D. A. Bannerraan on the [Ibis, 



both in the past and at the present day*. It will be apparent 

 how important a part the vegetation of the Canaries has 

 played as an element in the variation of species. 



Distribution of Species and Subspecies. 

 In studying the distribution of insular fauna it would be 

 difficult to find a more ideal Archipelago upon which to 

 centre one's attention than the one under discussion, at any 

 rate in the Atlantic Ocean. 



For the variety of peculiar forms which it contains and 

 the remarkable distribution of many of the species, the 

 Canary Archipelago can be considered second to none. 



The Azores have, I am awarCj been cited as the most 

 interesting of all the Atlantic Archipelagos from an ornitho- 

 logical point of view, but that was before the birds of the 

 Canary Islands were as well known as to-day, and the idea 

 arose in no small part from their great distance from any 

 continent. 



Let us first turn our attention to the truly Resident 

 Birds of the Canary Islands and glance down the list of 

 these on pp. 520, 521. We find that they number 6\, all 

 of which (with a single exception) are what we may term 

 land birds. The exception is an Oystercatcher, of which 

 more hereafter. 



Of these 61 Resident Birds no fewer than 52 are confined 

 to the Atlantic Islands [the Canaries, IMadeira, Azores, and 

 Cape Verde Groups]. These are divided as follows : — 

 42 are confined to the Canary Islands. 

 6 „ „ ,, Canaries and Madeira. 



3 ., „ „ Canaries, Madeira, and Azores. 



1 is ,, „ Canaries, Madeira, and Cape 



Verde Is. 

 9 have a general distribution in Europe and Africa. 



* In this connexion, and to save repetition, 1 would draw the 

 attention of the reader to ' Ibis,' 1890, pp 67-70 (a description of 

 I'alma hy Canon Tristram); 'Ibis,' 1912, pp. 557-507 (a description 

 of Gran Canaria, map, and photographic illustrations) ; and ' Ibis,' 1914, 

 pp. 38-90 (a description of all the islands of the Eastern Group, map, 

 and illustrations), the last two articles by the jiresent writer. 



