List of Birds observed in Malta and Gozo. 251 



tated, the real Sparrow of Malta, as my readers are well aware, 

 being P. salicicola, with an adiiiixture perhaps of P. italiae. 



In support of these forty or fifty alleged discoveries, I believe 

 not one specimen is in the possession of the compiler. It is 

 much to be regretted that so many species should be introduced 

 into the Malta List in this unwarrantable and reckless manner, 

 for, however often these mistakes may be corrected, they are sure 

 to crop up again somewhere. The great absurdity, however, 

 of many of them (especially our friends the Partridges) will, 

 fortunately, serve to put oi'nithologists on their guard ; but 

 the crowd of outsiders are apt to accept statements in natural 

 history blindly ; and we may yet hear of some one telling his 

 sporting friends that they may have Partridge-shooting in 

 Malta. 



Without enumerating minor errors or sins of omission, the 

 following are the most inexcusable blunders. One of the novel 

 features of the list is, that nearly every species has, somehow or 

 other, got a Maltese name to it — even Bartram's Sandpiper, 

 the Spur-winged Plover and the White-tailed Plover, of which 

 only single specimens (now in my possession) have occurred 

 in Malta, and the Asiatic Golden Plover [Charadrius longipes), 

 of which only two specimens have been taken (Ibis, 1865, 

 pp. 462-463), are all enriched with Maltese names. The 

 BufF-backed Heron and the BufF-backed Egret are given as two 

 different species, under the names oi Ardea buhulcus and Egretta 

 russata, with a Maltese name for each ! Tiinga canutus and 

 Tringa cinerea are also given as distinct species, with different 

 Maltese names. The Common Pintail Duck is put down as 

 two species, under the names " Daffila caudacuta " and Anas 

 acuta. The Shoveller is also in like manner multiplied as Red- 

 breasted Shoveller and Common Shoveller. Two species of 

 Petrel are mentioned under the names of Thalassidroma pela- 

 gica and T. melitensis, long since shown to be only one. Va- 

 nellus gregartus is merely a reproduction of Schembri^s mistake, 

 which he himself corrected years ago, this bird never having 

 been taken in Malta. To Limosa rufa is attached the letter " C '\ 

 signifying that it is common, whilst only one authentic specimen 

 has really been observed. Larus tridactylus, one of our rarest 



