302 Mr. G. Despott on the [Ibis, 



25. (Ill) Carpodacus erythrinus erythrinus (Pall.). The 

 Scarlet Bullfinch. 



Local name : Bumunkar. 



According to Wright, Fringilla incerta, of which Schembri 

 records the capture of two specimens on the 25th of 

 December, 1839, is now recognised to be the young of this 

 species. Giglioli also says that the species has occurred 

 in Malta, perhaps alluding to the specimens mentioned 

 above. Another specimen was obtained near Ziirrico by 

 M. A. Callus^ in the autumn of 1910. The local name, 

 which is practically a translation of Grosbeak, was picked 

 up from an old sportsman by the late Prof. Tagliaferro — 

 besides this, however, there is also another local name, 

 Tusurier ; it appears, however, that the species is very little 

 known either by this or by the other name, so that if one 

 of these is to be chosen, the one which is a translation of 

 Grosbeak is, in my opinion, to be preferred. 



26. (112) Erythrospiza githaginea githaginea (Licht.). 

 The Desert Bullfinch. 



Local name : Trumbettier . 



Schembri says that some of these birds^ which he con- 

 siders rare, occur almost annually from December to March, 

 and Wright, who is practically of the same opinion, records 

 the capture of two specimens — one during the last week of 

 October 1860, the other in November 1862. In his fourth 

 appendix to the list of birds observed in Malta and Gozo, 

 he says that several birds of this species were taken during 

 the summer of 1869, and another was detected by him 

 amongst the Finches in the market during the month of 

 October. I have seen several specimens and, with the 

 exception of one which was taken in May, all the others 

 occurred during the summer months. I have asked several 

 sportsmen and netters the month in which this species 

 usually visits us, and all of them agree that this generally 

 happens in July and August and very rarely, if ever, during 

 the otner months. The local name given is a translation 

 of the Italian, and this is evidently taken, as Wright says, 



