Vol. xliii.] 166 



"united with it the Canar}^ IsLind bird. On comparing 

 the series of North African, Canary Island, and Cape Verd 

 examples in the Tring and British Museums, Mr. Bannerman 

 and I came to the conclusion that the Canary Island birds 

 are also distinct. On the breast most o£ them, it is true, 

 agree with C. c. exsul, but on the back they are certainly 

 much more yellowish sand-colour. I propose the name of 



~\ Cursorius cursor bannermani 



for this race. I append a short key to the four Palsearctic 

 races of Cursorius cursor * : — 



-. f Breast whitish or greyish sand-colour 2. 



(.Breast darker, more reddisli 3. 



{Breast whitish sand-colour; back slightly [cursor. 



washed with grey Cursorius cursor 



Breast and back washed with grey C. c. hogulohoii. 



J Back yellowish sand-colour C. c. bamiermani, 



■ [Back rufous sand-colour C. c. exsul. 



The distinct coloration of the plumage in the Canary 

 Island examples is not seasonal, as can be seen by the 

 series examined. Moreover, birds from N. Africa, the 

 Canaries, and Cape Verd Islands, obtained at the same 

 time of year, w ere compared with one another. 



Mr. David Bannerman, in answer to a question, said 

 that in his opinion the CJanary Island Courser was resident 

 in the Archipelago throughout the year. It was confined 

 to the eastern islands of the Group and to very restricted 

 areas in Gran Canaria and Tenerife. It undoubtedly br^d 

 in all of these islands, and there was no direct evidence 

 of migration taking place between the Archipelago and the 

 mainland. 



* The name cursor given to the Courser by Latham in Gen. Synops. 

 Bds., Suppl. i. 1787, p. 293, antedates Gmelin's old-established name 

 yuilivus by two years, and must therefore be used. 



