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ON THE BRITISH TAKEN EXAMPLES OF THE 

 " LEVANTINE " SHEARWATER. 



BY 



H. F. WITHERBY. 



The well-known Levantine Shearwater {Puffiniis p. vtikoiian) 

 has for a long time figured on the British list and up to date 

 some twenty-eight examples have been recorded, while 

 Mr. W. J. Clarke, who obtained a good many of these, con- 

 sidered the bird a regular visitor off the Yorkshire coast 

 in autumn (see British Birds, II,, p. 207). So far as I know 

 there is no other bird breeding in the Palaearctic Region 

 which has the habit of migrating northwards in autumn. 



At the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club, held 

 on June 8th, IQ21, Dr. P. R. Lowe pointed out that the 

 bird found in the west of the Mediterranean differed con- 

 siderably from the typical P. p. yelkouan, and be proposed 

 for this the name Puffinus piiffinits maiiretanicus {Bull. B.O.C., 

 XLI., p. 140). At the same time Dr. Lowe pointed out that 

 two specimens from Devonshire in the British Museiim 

 collection belonged to the new form. 



Dr. Lowe's discovery is of considerable interest to British 

 ornithologists. At present this new form is only known from 

 specimens taken off the coasts of south-east Spain, Algeria 

 and the British Islands. Its breeding-places are not known. 

 Dr. Lowe conjectured that it might breed in the small islands 

 off the Mediterranean coast of Marocco, and in the last 

 issue of the Ibis Capt. P. W. Munn stated that a Shearwater 

 {which may be this bird) bred in some numbers in Minorca. 

 All the specimens so far examined taken from Corsica east- 

 wards have been P. p. yelkouan, so that the ranges of the 

 two forms seem fairly clear. No Shearwater of the species 

 Puffimis puffinus is known to breed on the west side of Spain 

 or Portugal, but the small islands off that coast have not been 

 thoroughly worked, though Mr. W. C. Tait of Oporto has 

 visited some of them. 



Since Dr. Lowe's discovery I have endeavoured to examine 

 and compare as many of the British taken " Levantines " 

 as possible. By the help of Mr. W. J. Clarke I have been 

 enabled to trace some of the present owners of these birds, 

 and I am sincerely grateful to the following gentlemen for 

 having sent me (often at much inconvenience and trouble) 

 specimens for examination, viz. : Messrs. J. H. Gurney, W. A. 

 Harding, L. E. Hope, W. R. Lysaght, J. B. Nichols, and 

 P. Thompson. 



