the Tubinares in the North Atlantic Islands. 481 



Porto Santo in the middle of the summer. He states in tlie 

 same account that this is the only bird which breeds solely 

 in winter, and that it is unusual to find, a fresh egg in March^ 

 still more so in April. Padre Schmitz subsequently records 

 young-in-down during the month of May, while several have 

 also been taken in April, so that his views on this point 

 have probably changed since he wrote in 1899. A study of 

 the records on the appended schedule show that the majority 

 of the birds probably do leave the islands during the height 

 of the summer, although it is obvious that odd birds 

 occasionally breed in the summer months, as the record 

 on July 29 from Porto Santo testifies. Schmitz found the 

 birds had arrived on Cima Island towards the end of 

 November, but on one occasion (1900) he observes that the 

 birds are seen for the first time on January 17. This is 

 probably an unusually late date for their first appearance, 

 November being much nearer the mark. Most of the birds 

 appear to lay early in February, and by June the majority 

 of young birds are fully fledged — the earliest record of an 

 adult bird of the year seems to be May 7. Padre Schmitz 

 has recorded an exceptionally late down-covered young from 

 Baixo Isl. (Porto Santo) on July 29 ; by this date it is pro- 

 bable that the main body of adults and young of the year 

 have left the islands not to return until November. P. a. 

 baroli does not commence breeding simultaneously on the 

 various islands of the Madeira Group, as Mr. Ogilvie-Grant 

 has already clearly proved, for during his visit to Desez'ta 

 Grande on May 4, 1890, he found that these Shearwaters 

 had not yet bred, while at Porto Santo, which is only about 

 forty miles distant, this species had not only bred but some 

 of the young were in nearly adult plumage. 



Breeding range in the Salvage Islands. 



Mr. Ogilvie-Grant obtained downy young in various stages 

 on Great Salvage between the 24th and 29th of April. Only 

 one egg., almost fresh, was taken. 



