306 Mr. G. Despott on the [This, 



33. (102) Passer hispaniolensis maltae Hart. Sicilian 

 Sparrow. 



Local name : Ghasfur tal bejt. 



As is the case with many other countries, the Sparrow 

 was once so abundant that it was considered a nuisance, 

 but now, and it sounds almost incredible, it has become, 

 at least in some localities, rather scarce. Our farmers, 

 sportsmen, and netters have succeeded in bringing down its 

 numbers so low that it was felt necessary that a temjDorary 

 protection should be afforded to it. A few years ago Sparrows 

 could be observed in countless numbers, even in Valletta ; 

 to-day, however, one might traverse a good tract of the island 

 without meeting with, say, a dozen of these birds. 



34. (10-1) Petronia petronia petronia (L.). The Rock- 

 Sparrow. 



Local name : Ghasfur tal bejt salvagg. 



Casual and very rare. Recorded first by Schembri, who 

 says that a specimen in his collection was captured in the 

 spring of 1839. Wright also records one in his collection 

 which was captured alive on the 23rd of November, 1862, and 

 another in the possession of Dr. Gulia captured also alive in 

 February 1864. In the fourth appendix to his list, Wright 

 records an unusually numerous passage of these birds, 

 which took place in the autumn of 1869, when a good many 

 were taken by both net and gun. 



I had a pair which were shot at Ghar Kirdua on the 

 27th of September, 1905, and I saw another exposed for 

 sale, together with the Common Sparrow, on the 7th of 

 January, 1912. The first two specimens I did not preserve, 

 as 1 had not yet commenced collecting ; for the third I could 

 not trace the provenance, and as it had, moreover, evident 

 signs of its having been kept in confinement, I thought it 

 would be better not to admit it into my collection. 



The local name appears on the list of Prof. Blasius, who 

 perhaps borrowed it from Giglioli. 



35. (105) Gymnoris flavicoUis flavicoUis (Frankl.). The 

 Yellow-throated Sparrow. 



Local name : Ghasfur tal bejt sidirtus afra. 



