616 REPOET— 1889. 



2. On the Peculiarities of the Avifauna of the Canary Islands. 

 By the Rev. Canon H. B. Teistram, F.B.S. 



The seven islands which form the Canary j^roup naturally divide themselves 

 into two groups. 1st. Lanzarote and Fuertaventura, those nearest the African 

 continent, and which may be looked upon as insular outliers of the Sahara. 2nd. 

 The other five islands, Canaria, Tenerife, Gomera, Palma, and Hierro. The first 

 group are slightly elevated plateaux with a completely surrounding fringe of low 

 volcanic hills, and are destitute of timber and almost of water. The birds are all 

 identical with or closely allied to those of the Sahara, notably, Otis houhara, 

 Pterocles arenarius, Chirsoj-ius gallicus, Fyrrhida githaginea, CalandreUa minor, Farus 

 ultramarinus var. Only one peculiar species has been found — Fratincola dacotim. 

 The only peculiar Canarian species which occurs is Anthushertheloti. The second 

 group are much more varied in their avifauna. In only three of them, Tenerife, 

 Gomera, and Palma, is there any extent of natural forest. This extends generally 

 from 3,600 feet above the sea level to 5,000 feet. Only in these forests are most of 

 the peculiar species found, especially the two species of pigeon — Columha laurivora 

 and C bollii — the former in two, the latter in all three of the forested islands. 

 Their distinctive habits are described. Of the Chaffinches there are three species; 

 one, Fringilla tintillon, found in Canaria, Tenerife, and Gomera. Another, Fr. 

 teydea, peculiar to Tenerife ; and a third, Fr. palmcB, peculiar to Palma. The Tit- 

 mouse of three islands is Pa/'ns ^e?2er«/«, which can always be discriminated from 

 P. ultramarinus. In Palma is a third very distinct species, Parus palmensis. The 

 only peculiar bird which seems common to aU seven islands is Anthushertheloti. 

 In Canaria Caccahis rufa is common, in Tenerife and Gomera C. petrosa takes its 

 place. In Palma there is no Partridge. Quail are found in all the islands. The 

 Cornish Chough aboimds in Palma, to which it is exclusively confined. The 

 Woodcock is a permanent resident in three of the islands. The peculiarities of the 

 forests are described, and the paper endeavours to show the connection of the varia- 

 tion of the avifauna with the geological history of the group. 



3. On Syrrhaptes paradoxus as a Native of Britain. 

 By Professor A. Newton, M.A., F.B.8. 



On two previous occasions (1863 and 188-3) the author had brought the 

 irruptions of this singular bird before the Association; he now had to speak of 

 it as a native, and exhibited a specimen, not more than two or three days old, 

 which had been captured in the North of Scotland on the 8th of August last ; and 

 was, so far as he knew, the first that had been seen by any scientific ornithologist. 



4. On the Morphology of the long flexors of the digits of the Mammalian 

 Hand. By Professor B. C. A. Windle. 



On certain Congenital Ahnormalities in Fishes. 

 By Professor B. C. A. Winple. 



6. On the Cceca of a Tinamou. By Frank E. Beddaed, M.A. 



7. Contributions to our Knowledge of the Freshwater Annelids. 

 By Frank E. Beddakd, M.A. 



In spite of the labours of Claparede, D'Udekem, Perrier, Vejdovsky and Stolp 

 upon the Continent, and of Lankester, Mcintosh, Bousfield and others in this 

 country, a good ileal remains to be done before we can claim to have a satisfactory 

 knowledge of even the British freshwater Oligocbseta, while the exotic forms. 



