1920.] Birds of the Canarij Islands. 555 



murielce, Coliimha JKnunue, and Co/umba Jiollei. All (except 

 the first two nieutioued) belong to genera of wide dis- 

 tribution, and of the 5 species here represented FringiUa 

 teijdea is probably of most ancient origin. No bird whicli 

 we can consider to be closely allied to the Blue Chaftinches 

 oi the Car.ary Islands is to be found anywhere in the world, 

 but the family Fringilliche, to which they belong, is, of 

 course, typically Pahearctic, we might almost say European. 

 In bygone days a Blue Chaffinch may have lived in the 

 extensive forests which clothed the mountains of southern 

 Europe, and the ancient pine forests of the Atlas JMountains 

 may have held the last representatives of this remarkable 

 bird, from which the now unique island races have sprung. 



Indeed, I have always cherished the idea that a thorough 

 investigation of the Ornis of the Southern-Atlas Mountains 

 and the country lying to the south of this range might throw 

 some light on the origin of certain of the resident birds in 

 the Canaries. The recent interesting discovery in Morocco 

 of a Nuthatch by Captain Lynes, R.N., lends colour to my 

 theory*. For the present we must include the Blue Chaf- 

 finches as having their affinities rather with Europe than 

 with any other part of the world. 



The Pipit and the Chats I believe to have been descended 

 from species of northern Africa ; indeed I should not be 

 surprised to find a Chat closely allied to Saxicola dacotice 

 inhabiting the unexplored coasts of the continent which lie 

 opposite the Canary Archipelago. 



The two Pigeons (a third remarkable form, Columba trocaz, 

 inhabits Madeira^ must have been isolated in their island 

 homes for many centuries, so specialized have they become 

 and so distinct from all other races of Pigeons known in 

 Europe or Africa. With the Blue Chaffinches their original 



* Since this paper was written I have received the January 'Ibis' 

 contaiuhig the highly vahiable paper by Captain Lynes on liis explora- 

 tions in the Atlas Range. I regret that owing to absence abroad my 

 paper had to be printed before I liad read Captain Lynes's conclusions. 

 I have therefore not made the use of them which I should otherwise 

 have done. — D. A. B., Gran Canaria, February 1920. 



