Abstract
THE problems presented by insular faunas and floras are of the greatest interest both to the student of geographical distribution and to the geographer. Chapters V. and VI. of this rather uncomfortably heavy book deal respectively with the affinities and origin of the Canarian flora, the modes of dispersal of the trees. and plants, the distribution of animal and bird life in the Canary Islands, and some problems which they suggest. The author gives numerous examples of the influence of complete isolation on the differentiation of birds no longer able to interbreed with the continental stock from which they sprang; and in some cases, e.g. that of the Fuerteventura bustard, is able to suggest how the local conditions may have contributed towards the selection of geographical subspecies. The chapters on the origin, geology, and physical characteristics of the islands are convenient summaries for the general reader, while references to larger works and original papers will enable those who wish to consult the firsthand authorities.
The Canary Islands: Their History, Natural History, and Scenery: An Account of an Ornithologist's Camping Trip in the Archipelago.
D. A.
Bannerman
By. Pp. xvi + 365 + pl. (London: Gurney and Jackson, 1922.) 30s. net.
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The Canary Islands: Their History, Natural History, and Scenery: An Account of an Ornithologist's Camping Trip in the Archipelago . Nature 111, 77 (1923). https://doi.org/10.1038/111077c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/111077c0