Vol. xxxiii.] 56 



" The last volume of the British Museum Catalogue of 

 Birds' Eggs by Mr. Ogilvie-Grant has been published. 



" Although this address is very fragmentary and incom- 

 plete, it will, I hope, serve to show that, though the work 

 done in Ornithology is increasing year by year, an immense 

 amount still remains to be done, both by the worker at 

 home and the ornithological observer and collector in the 

 field." 



Mr. D. A. Bannekman gave a further account of his visit 

 to the Canary Islands, and made the following remarks on 

 the Petrels met with : — 



" I have not made any startling discovery in the Eastern 

 Canary Group with regard to the Petrels found there ; but, 

 as I believe the outlying islands have not previously been 

 visited — at any rate, within the last half century, — it may 

 be as well to put on record the Petrels which I found 

 breeding there in May and June of this year. 



"The more one studies the distribution of Petrels and 

 Shearwaters the more it is apparent that they are in no 

 wise governed by any rule as to their choice of a nesting- 

 colony. It may happen that in a group of islands, such as 

 the Azores or Cape Verde Archipelagoes, the Petrels resort 

 in thousands to one particular island upon which to breed, 

 while they may leave another island severely alone, though 

 to all intents and purposes the latter is as well suited to 

 their needs ! This state of affairs to a large extent exists 

 in the Eastern Canary Group — the outlying islands with 

 which I have to deal are those lying north of Lanzarote. 

 The largest — Graciosa — is a flat island possessing four 

 extinct volcanoes, and is about 5^ miles long and 2% 

 broad. 



"In May and June the only species of Petrel found 

 there was Puffinus kuhll flavirostris, which was exceedingly 

 numerous. 



"Three different kinds of nesting-sites were occupied : — ■ 

 (1) Holes among the huge lumps of lava on the shore were 

 most commonly adopted ; (2) burrows in the sandy soil ; 



