1917-] Ornithology of Malta. 303 



from the note of the bird, which is very like the sound pro- 

 duced by a penny trumpet. I have a live specimen in my 

 possession which I succeeded in crossing Avith a hen canary, 

 the offs[)riiig being in shape and colour like the cock bird — 

 in size, however, they are markedly less. 



27. (115) Loxia curvirostra curvirostra L. The Common 

 Crossbill. 



Local name : Mkass. 



A quite accidental and very irregular visitor to these 

 islands. Schembri says that it occurs only at rare intervals, 

 and this usually happens in September; he also states that 

 he had seen more than ten individuals between 1838 and 

 1843. Wright is practically of the same opinion as regards 

 the occurrence of the species, and records the capture of two 

 specimens, one in October 1861 and the other in October 

 1863. A rather plentiful passage of Crossbills occurred on 

 the 7th of July, 1909, and many of the birds continued to be 

 captured during the following two months. In the second 

 week of July 1916 we had another small passage of the 

 species, and a few specimens have been taken too. The 

 majority of the specimens which are seen in local collec- 

 tions are, however, those which were taken in the summer 

 of 1909. Another local name for this bird is Crocier, which 

 is a corruption of the Italian crociere, but this is apparently 

 in very little use ; in some lists we also find the bird called 

 Ortulan gheddumu imsallab — I do not know, however, if this 

 name was ever used, 



28. (106) Fringilla ccelebs ccelebs L. The ChaflBnch. 

 Local name : Sponsun. 



A bird of regular passage during the autumn, generally 

 occurring in fairly good numbers during some years — it 

 becomes scarce, however, in others. I remember two 

 seasons when these birds could be considered rarities. 

 The first arrivals are usually noticed by the last week of 

 October, the bulk of the birds, however, are never seen 

 before the first days of the following month. Both 

 Schembri and Wright say that the Chaffinches which 



