300 Mr. G, Despott on the [Ibis, 



21. (96) Serinus canarius serinus L, The Serin. 

 Local name : Apparell. 



During some years this bird is as common as the Linnet, 

 though it generally arrives at a later date. When a chance 

 is given to it we find it lingering throughout the winter 

 and for a good part of the spring ; but unhappily, like the 

 Linnet, it is also subjected to persecution and is wantonly 

 destroyed by both the clap and the bat nets. Of the count- 

 less numbers of these birds which arrive annually, not one 

 in a thousand survives till the following summer ; it is 

 even said that many persons earn a living by the capture 

 of these birds ! The Serin has Ijcen known to nest here 

 when fortune protects it, and it would assuredly be a more 

 frequent breeder if it were not persecuted to such an 

 extent. 



22. (97) Serinus canarius canarius (L.), The Wild Canary. 

 Local name : Canal salvagg. 



On the 25th of January, 1896, a husbandman from 

 Zurrico, M. A. Callus by name, whilst netting for Serins 

 at Hal Far, captured two of these birds ; they soou excited 

 the curiosity of all who saw them, and, as is generally the 

 case in Malta, were taken to be a cross between the Serin 

 and some other Finch. I was told, however, that a gentle- 

 man of the village, after consulting some books, declared the 

 birds to be Wild Canaries, and they were consequently given 

 the name Canal salvagg, which is nothing but a translation 

 of the English and Italian name. In 1911 I asked Callus 

 and another man who saw the specimens, several questions 

 regarding them, and showed them pictures of several Finches, 

 and they both of them agreed that the picture of the Wild 

 Canary represented the specimens seen by them. For 

 these reasons I have included the species amongst our avi- 

 fauna, not pretending, however, that further evidence is not 

 also desired. The local name Canal salvagg appears on other 

 lists for other species ; it cannot stand, however, better than 

 for this bird, knowing, moreover, that the other species 

 liave also other and much better names too. In Giglioli's 



