1917-] Ornithology of Ma It a . 309 



Wright records one wliicb. he says appeared to be a female, 

 and which was captni-ed on the 12th of November, 1862, 

 and another obtained by him which was captured alive 

 in 1863. In the fourth appendix to his list he says that 

 on the 10th and 11th of November^ 1869, he picked up two 

 males in the Valletta Market. 



The only specimen which I have seen was captured within 

 the limits of Zurrico in the autumn of 1911. Tliere is 

 also an example in the University Museum, which, like the 

 majority of the older specimens, is in a pitiful condition 

 and bears neither locality nor date. The local name is 

 a translation of the Italian, which in my opinion is rather 

 misleading, for the bird is not black at all [Zigolu nero=: 

 Ortulan m/;e«?= Black Bunting). 



41. (121) Emberiza hortulana L. The Ortolan Bunting. 

 Local name : Ortulan. 



According to both Schembri and Wright this species 

 occurs on passage during the spring and autumn, and, 

 though I have often heard this stated by others in regard to 

 the autumn, I have not yet been able to observe it myself. 

 I consider these birds as regular spring migrants, which 

 are fairly common in some years, while in others very 

 scarce. 



42. (124) Emberiza cia cia L. The Meadow-Bunting. 

 Local name : Ortulan salvagg. 



Very rare. First recorded by Schembri, who states he 

 saw two individuals in December 1841. Wright records 

 another taken alive in January 1863. I obtained a pair, 

 captured alive, within the limits of Zurrico on the 6th of 

 November, 1912. One of these died a iew days after its 

 capture, and now forms part of my collection ; the other 

 lived till the 23rd of October, 1913. Both Schembri and 

 Wright give Canal salvagg as tlie local name for this 

 species. Giglioli and Hlasius give also the one which I 

 have selected and which I consider more to the point. 



