40 Mr. D. A. Baunerman on an Ornithological 



Since this was written, a great deal lias been added to our 

 knowledge of the avifauna of this group^ but apparently 

 no one has ever systematically worked the outlying islands. 



With the intention, therefore, of thoroughly exploring 

 these little-hnown islets and at the same time working 

 through the large islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, 

 I left England on the 16th of April, 1913, for Gran 

 Canaria. The expedition was undertaken officially on behalf 

 of the British Museum, to the officers of which institution 

 I am indebted for permitting me to make use of the services 

 of A. H. Bishop as taxidermist. 



The Hon. Walter Rothschild kindly contributed to the 

 expedition on the understanding that part of the collections 

 made should go to the Tring Museum. 



The principal papers in the past, dealing with the eastern 

 Canary Islands, have been contributed by Mr, Meade- Waldo^ 

 Herr Polatzek, and Herr von Thanner ^. 



On our arrival in Gran Canaria considerable and unforeseen 

 difficulties arose. The Spanish Government, which had been 

 approached by the Foreign Office on the subject, refused to 

 allow me to proceed, but owing to the efforts of H.M/s 

 Consuls at Tenerife and Gran Canaria (Mr. Croker and 

 Major Swanston) these difficulties were eventually overcome, 

 and we left Las Palmas as originally arranged on the night 

 of May the 4th. 



I should like here to express my deep gratitude to 

 His Majesty^s Consuls, Mr. Croker and Major Swanston, 

 for the innumerable services which they rendered to the 

 Expedition ; had it not been for their timely intervention 

 we should most certainly have been forced to abandon our 

 project altogether. Although, as far as our own plans were 

 concerned, the attitude of the Spanish Government proved 



* Meade- Waldo, Ibis, 1889, pp. 1-13,503-520 5 1890, pp. 429-438 ; 

 1893, pp. 185-207. Polatzek, Oru. Jahrb. 1908, pp. 81-119, 161-197; 

 1909, pp. 1-24, 117-134, 202-210. Von Thanner, Nov. Zool. 1904, pp. 230- 

 234; Orn. Jahrb. 1903, pp. 211-217; 1905, pp. 50-66, 211-214; 1908, 

 pp. 198-215; 1909, pp. 148-150; 1910, pp. 81-101, 226-229; 1912, 

 pp. 221-228. 



