1 9 ' 7 • ] Ornithology of Malta. 311 



Naxaro, sent to me a specimen which he shot at the 

 Salina, this being the fourth specimen which I have seen 

 in the flesh ; besides these, however, I have seen at least 

 half-a-flozen stuffed specimens, all of which, 1 was assured, 

 were taken in these islands. In Giglioli^s and Blasius's 

 lists the local name given for this species is Ortulan tas' 

 sidra, which is certainly not in. use at present; tiie one 

 given above has been taken from two or three sportsmen 

 who have seen the birds, and have also assured me they have 

 met with the species before. 



46. (126) Plectrophenax nivalis L. The Snow-Bunting. 

 Local name : Durrajsa tal maltemp. 



Reported for the first time by Schembri, who records 

 the capture of two specimens in the autumn of 1840. 

 Wright mentions a male bird in fidl plumage, shot bv 

 him at the Salina on the 13th of November, 1869, 

 and a pair, one of which he secured for his collection, 

 killed about the end of December of the same year. 



On the 28th of October, 1911, I was fortunate enough 

 to find a specimen in the Valletta Market ; this, I was told 

 was taken in the neighbourhood of Rabato on the preced- 

 ing day. The local name given is the one used by the 

 majority of those interested in ornithology ; the one 

 given by Giglioli is intended for an albino form of the 

 Common Bunting, which was in the University Museum, 

 and was labelled as a specimen of the Snow-Bunting. It 

 may also be noted here that Giglioli puts an exclamation 

 mark after, saying that he knew that the species had been 

 taken in Malta. 



47. (129) Melanocorypha calandra calandra (L.). The 

 Calaudra Lark. 



Local name : Calandra. 



According to both Schembri and Wright, this species 

 occurs on passage during the spring and autumn. I have 

 never met with it during the first-named season, when it is 

 often imported from Sicily. During the autumn, however. 



