Expedition to the Eastern Canary Islands. 51 



white houses, were plainly visible. On the southern side 

 a low range of hills separates this country from an even 

 larger plain, where the villages of Triscaminita, Tuineje, and 

 La Florida are situated, which district Mr. Meade- Waldo 

 made his centre of activity. 



The town of Puerto Cabras, where we had lanrlecl, lay 

 behind a range of hills fringing the coast, and away to the 

 north another huge plain was visible, for the most part very 

 barren save in the immediate neighbourhood of a few 

 straggling villages and farms, where palms and fig-trees stood 

 out above the grain-fields. From the summit of the pass 

 where we had halted to rest the camels, the path wound 

 over the bare mountain-side and over a part of the plain to 

 Antigua. We passed through the village and pitched our 

 camp on the further side. Hoopoes seemed more plentiful 

 than ever and Pale Swifts were hawking over the fields in 

 numbers. In the evening Coursers were seen close to the 

 camp, and we obtained several in the spotted plumage of 

 the immature birds ; Sand-Grouse were also heard. The 

 following morning, May the 15th, we were awakened by the 

 musical call of the Hoopoes, " Ta-bo-bo-bo, Ta-bo-bo-bo," on 

 all sides. On account of this cry they have received the 

 local name of " Tabobo." 



I had planned to spend the days on the plains and hoped to 

 meet with Coursers, Sand- Grouse^ and especially the Bustard 

 [Chlamydotis undulata fuerteventurce), which I had not yet 

 come across. For this purpose, therefore, I hired a donkey and 

 set out in the direction of Casillas de Morales, for it is almost 

 impossible to approach the Bustard on foot. We had gone a 

 long way before one was sprung, and although I knew the bird 

 well in the skin, I was greatly surprised at its large expanse of 

 wing. It only flew about a hundred yards and then alighted, 

 watching to see if it was being followed. The donkey 

 scrambled over the stony plain as fast as possible, but when 

 within fifty yards the bird began to run and kept this distance 

 between us until it finally took to flight again. The prickly 

 ^' Ahulaga" bush, spoken of by Mr. Meade-Waldo, was here 

 very plentiful and was covered with many snails, upon which 



