440 Mr, D. A. Bannerman un the Distribution of 



By referring to the map (Plate XVI I. ), wliich lias been 

 specially prepared by Mr. H. Milne, draughtsman of the 

 Royal Geographical Society, it will be seen exactly which 

 groups are included under the heading of the north Atlantic 

 Islands ; it is particularly intended to show the relation- 

 ship of the various groups of islands to one another, and 

 depicts the Azores, Madeira Group, Salvages, Canary and 

 Cape Verde Archipelagos. facing the map is a list 

 (p. 441) of the above-mentioned groups with a table of the 

 various islands of which they are composed, showing exactly 

 which species of the Order Tubinares breeds on, or has been 

 recorded from, each individual island. From this table it 

 will be seen, that in each archipelago the Petrels and Shear- 

 waters resort to the smallest uninhabited islands upon which 

 to rear their young, practically neglecting the larger islands. 



I have also prepared a second table (p. 443) by which it 

 can be seen at a glance whether any particular species breeds 

 in, or is only recorded as a visitor from, each group of 

 islands. Heference to the first table must be made when 

 information is desired of a particular island in any group. 



Distribution. 



The correct geographical distribution of members of 

 the Petrel family is exceedingly difficult to determine. 

 Professor Newton, writing on the Petrels in the ^Dictionary 

 of Birds,^ went to the root of the matter when he remarked 

 ''.... it is only now beginning to be clear that until we 

 know the breeding-place or places of each species — and some 

 seem to be extremely restricted in this respect — we shall 

 know very little to the point about their geographical 

 distribution.^^ 



It is becoming more generally recognised every day that 

 Petrels and Shearwaters do not travel such immense distances 

 as they have formerly been credited with doing. For in the 

 case of many species their range probably revolves round 

 the particular locality to which they resort during the 

 breeding-season. This may be said of O. castro, P. m. 

 hypoleuca, P. a. baroli,.P. I. boydi, and, in fact, the large 



