Expedition to the Eastern Canary Islands. 39 



and has added to the National Collection a valuable series 

 of birds in their breeding-plumage together with examples 

 of their young and eggs. The birds in this group of islands 

 are now strictly protected during the nesting-season, but, 

 thanks to the intervention of Sir Edward Grey, the difficulties 

 of obtaining a permit to collect were eventually overcome. 

 The specimens thus obtained are therefore of very special 

 value. 



The Natural History Museum now possesses a very 

 complete collection of birds from the Canary Islands, thanks 

 to the work done by Mr. Bannerman and the generosity of 

 Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo. About twenty years ago the 

 latter visited nearly all the islands in the group, making 

 extensive collections, and the results of this work were 

 published in ' The Ibis' between the years 1889 and 1893. 

 He was the fortunate discoverer of several interesting new 

 species, more especially two Blue Titmice, Paws ombriosus 

 from Hierro and P. pahnensis from Palma, likewise a very 

 remarkable new Chat, Saxicola dacotice, from Fuerteventura ; 

 while his companion^ the late Canon Tristram, described a 

 fine new Chaffinch, Fringilla palmce, from Palma. To 

 Mr. Bannerman's credit lies the discovery on Allegranza 

 and Montana Clara of a second form of Chat which, though 

 closely allied to the species from Fuerteventura, seems to 

 be a well-characterized and quite distinct form. 



During his expedition Mr. Bannerman was ably seconded 

 by A. H. Bishop, who had been deputed by the Natural 

 History Museum to accompany him. — W. R. O.-G.] 



Inthoduction. 



Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo, writing in 'The Ibis' in 1890, 

 concludes his excellent series of papers on the "Birds of 

 the Canary Islands " with the following sentence : — '^ I am 

 afraid that, with the exception of the Petrels, nothing much 

 remains to be done J but to observe these satisfactorily, it 

 would be necessary to visit and carefully work the outer 

 islands and rocks dnrins; the months of June and Jul v." 



