Vol. xxxiii.] 58 



the nesting-season of this Petrel on two islands of the same 

 group. 



' f The fourth — and last, — which was perhaps the most 

 interesting of all the species discovered, was the Common 

 Storm-Petrel, Thalassidroma pelagica. A single bird was 

 caught in a cave and proved to be a male with the testes 

 much developed. This is, I believe, the first occasion on 

 which this Petrel has been taken on land in the Canary 

 Group, and I consider it extremely likely that it was 

 breeding. 



" Allegranza proved a decided disappointment as regards 

 sea-birds. Webb and Berthelot, Cabrera, and, in later 

 years, Mr. Godman have all mentioned Allegranza as being 

 the most interesting of the whole group. 



" The Manx Shearwater (Pziffinus puffinus) was said to 

 live in the island ( all the year round/ Bulwer's Petrel 

 (Bulweria bulweri) was said to be very common there, and 

 the Great Black -backed Gull (Larus marinus) was reported 

 to be very common and to breed there. 



" I do not believe that any of these birds breed on 

 Allegranza at the present day ; but in the case of the two 

 last named I do not for a moment wish to affirm that they 

 did not breed there years ago. On the other hand, the 

 evidence that the Manx Shearwater bred in large numbers 

 — or even at all — in Allegranza is too doubtful to be 

 considered. The only species of Petrel or Shearwater 

 discovered on Allegranza in June was Puffinus kuh/i flavi- 

 rostris, which swarms over the entire island, and thousands 

 are slaughtered every year for the sake of their feathers. 



" There is only one more point I wish to notice, which 

 is, that Oceanodroma castro is given in the new ' Hand- 

 List of British Birds ; as breeding in the Canaries. 

 Dr. Hartert tells me that it has been included under this 

 heading, as he considers the ' Salvages to be outlying 

 islands of the Canary Group, where O. castro certainly 

 breeds/ It seems doubtful if the Salvages can be included 

 with the Canaries ; personally I prefer to regard them as a 

 distinct group. The Salvage Islands are a hundred statute 



