236 Mr. D. A. Banuerman on an Ornithological 



than in examples of C. c. tingitanus. The shape, build, and 

 curve of the bill seem to me to be subject to individual 

 variation in both C. c. tingitanus and so-called C. c. canari- 

 ensis. I can see no difference in the shape of the heckles, 

 although, as Dr. Hartert affirms, they may usually be 

 longer. 



Dr. le Roi, of Bonn, who has examined a large series of 

 Eavens from the islands, wrote to me last year that he had 

 come to the same conclusion as I have and had united the 

 birds of the Canary Islands with C. c. tingitanus. 



Ravens were met with sparingly in Puerteventura but 

 were more common in Lanzarote, where a dozen at a time 

 were seen above " El Risco." They were also present in 

 Montana Clara and Allegranza. 



A single example was obtained in Fuerteventura. 



Bill and feet black, iris very dark. 



Cardnelis carduelis parva. Least Goldfinch. 



Carduelis carduelis parva (Tsch.) ; Bannerman, Part I. 

 p. 48. 



It will be noticed that in this Goldfinch the ends of the 

 primaries and secondaries are often " notched^' — a peculiarity 

 which is caused by the white tips being worn away to the 

 exact pattern of the original white markings. I have never 

 noticed this in Carduelis c. carduelis. 



All the examples which I have examined from Fuerte- 

 ventura appear to have abnormally long bills*. 



The Least Goldfinch was met with only in Fuerte- 



* [It is interesting to note that the Goldfinch introduced into Bermuda, 

 recently described as C. c. bennudiana Kennedy, has, as is usually the 

 case when a bird is imported into a tropical mountainous island, become 

 much darker in colouring, as well as smaller in size. Doubtless in 

 another century the Goldfinch, which has only recently been introduced 

 into the desert island of Fuerteventura, will have become differentiated 

 from the form found in the mountainous western islands of the Canary 

 group. This bird we shall expect to become lighter in colouring and 

 very possibly even smaller in size than is at present the case ; probably 

 the bill will become stronger through having to adapt itself to the 

 harder conditions of life in a desert island. It will be instructive to 

 note how soon the action of environment will make itself felt on this 

 particular species.] 



