1917-] Onntholotjii of Malta. 285 



number, aiid^ moreover, exotic species are very ofteu intro- 

 duced. 



Mr. Micallefs collection was sold after his death, in 1913, 

 and I am informed that a good part of it passed into the 

 possession of Mr. A. Magri at Floriana. 



To the student of our ornithology, visits to the Valletta 

 Market may often prove profitable, especially during the 

 spring and the autumn, when the poulterers' stalls are 

 frequently stocked with many interesting species of migra- 

 tory birds ; but, in order that one may form an adequate 

 idea of what the status of bird-life is in Malta, it might well 

 be stated that the number of licensed sportsmen who over- 

 run the 117 square miles covered by these islands is over 

 1000, perhaps twice as many if we count the unlicensed 

 ones, and to these may also be added another army of 

 netters. AH these are, of course, a great helj) to the collector 

 and epicures, but not so much to our agriculturists, who 

 nnfortunately are very ignorant of the real economic value 

 of birds. 



The published literature on Maltese ornithology is as 

 follows : — 



1760. DeReville Godehkn. " Sur le passage des Oiseaux de Malte," . 

 pub. in the Mem. de Mat. et de Ph^-s. pres. a I'Acad. des Sc. de 

 Paris, t. iii. — In this paper the auihor gives a list of the migratory 

 birds (ibserved by him during his stay in Malta. 



1772. Abela CiANTAR. ' Malta Iliustrata.' — In this work the author 

 gives a sort of an Ornithological Calendar, beginning from March 

 and ending in February. 



1841, Thompson, W. "Notice of migratory Birds which alighted on, 

 or were seen from, H.M.S. ' Beacon,' Capt. Graves, on the passage 

 from Malta to the Morea at the end of April 1841," Ann. 

 Mag. Nat. Hist. (1) viii. pp. 12.5-129.— In this note the author 

 mentions some migratory species observed by him duriug the 

 cruise of H.M.S, 'Beacon.' 



1843. ScHEMBRi, Antonio. ' Catalogo Oruitologico del gruppo di 

 Malta.' — In this work, which is one of the best that has ever 

 been published about the birds of Malta, the author enumerates 

 230 species, giving with each a short but very interestii g note, 

 together with the Latin, Italian, English, Frencli, and Maltese 

 names. 



