554 Mr. D. A. T^aniierman on the [Ibis, 



term evolution coutiinies— new geographical forms arise, 

 and the hiws of heredity complete the process. 



Affinities of Canarian Avifauna. 

 The affinities of the Resident birds of the Archipehigo of 

 the present dav were discussed by Dr. Ilartert in 1901 

 (Nov. Zool. vol. ix. pp. 3()4-:U2), who came to the conclu- 

 sion that thev were chiefly I'hiropean in character, and he 

 therefore included the fauna of the islands in the Pala^arctic 

 Region, and has discussed the forms in his valuable ' Yooel 

 PaUiarktischen Fauna'; the opinion which he formed then 

 was absolutely correct, and recent investigation of the 

 migratory species helps to strengthen this view. 



To deal tirsi with the 61 Resident species, my own opinion 

 is as follows :— I consider that U are most nearly allied to 

 forms found to-day in northern Europe, and, as will be see.i 

 by referring to the list on page 520, are all closely related to 

 fm-ms inhabiting the British Islands; then of the remainder 

 8 are either soutli European forms or closely allied to 

 species inhabiting the Mediterranean sub-region. With 

 these T. include Erijthrospiza g. lunantium, Pelronia p. madei- 

 rensis, Passer h. hispaniolensis, Calandrella minor polatzeki, 

 and C. m. rufescens, Sylvia melanoeephala leucogustra, Sylvia 

 conspicillatu bella, Caccabis petrosa kcenigi. 



Three species 1 consider to be more truly north African 

 than European, i. e., Chlamydotis undulata fuertevcntvrce, 

 (Mrsorins g. gallicus, and Pterocles orientalis ; while of 

 birds whose nearest relatives can only be considered African 

 there are but two, Neophron p. percnojHerus and HcBma- 

 topus niger meadeicaldoi. Of these two the Oystercatcher 

 belongs to a cosmopolitan genus widely represented in 

 Europe, but of which the black species are not found in the 

 Paltearetic region. There are, however, 7 other R-sident 

 birds in the Canaries confined to these islands of which 

 it is more difficult to trace the immediate affinities : 

 these are Fringilla teydea teydea and F. t. polatzeki, Anthus 

 bertheloti bertheluli, Saxicola Uacoti(B dacutice. and S. d. 



