240 Mr. D. A. Bannerman on an Orniiholor/ical 



Emberiza calandra calandra. Corn Bunting. 



Eynberiza calandra calandra Linu. ; Bannerman, Part I. 

 p. 59. 



Emberiza calandra thanneri Tschusi, Orn. Jahrb. 1903, 

 p. 162. 



In * The Ibis' for 1912, p. 611,1 discussed at some length 

 the form or forms of Emberiza found in the island of Gran 

 Canaria. At first I inclined to the idea that there were 

 two distinct forms inhabiting the island — a resident mountain 

 race and a coastal migratory race^ the chief difference of 

 which was in size. Finally, however, I came to the con- 

 clusion, with the aid of Dr. Hartert, who kindly examined 

 the series with me, that the large birds were males and the 

 small birds were females. This did not quite explain the 

 fact that the small birds were invariably much lighter in 

 colouring and had the breast-markings much less pro- 

 nounced, for there is no constant difference in the plumage 

 of the two sexes, although there certainly is in size. 



I should now like to correct a statement which I made in 

 my previous paper. On page 611 (footnote) I stated that I 

 could not vouch for the sexes of specimens h, k, I, and u, as 

 I had not dissected them myself. At the time of writing 

 this I was quite unaware that the sex of these four speci- 

 mens had been personally ascertained by Mr. Pycraft, who 

 examined the sexual organs under a microscope. 



Dr. Hartert's supposition that the sex of these birds had 

 been wrongly determined cannot, therefore, be allowed, 

 although at the time it certainly appeared probable. 



In the spring of this year (191 3), while in Gran Canaria, 

 I collected an additional series of Corn Buntings and found 

 that all the breeding birds in the mountain district of Firgas 

 (1625 ft.) belonged to the large dark race. These birds 

 all had eggs at this time, April 22nd to May 4th, and 

 not a single small light coloured bird was to be seen in 

 the island. 



One example of the large dark form was obtained in 

 Lanzarote, and through the kindness of Miss Jackson I 

 procured a small series from Tenerife — the type-locality of 



