1917-] Ornitholoyy of Malta. 339 



records two individuals obtained by him in November and 

 December 1861, and a third obtained by Mr. T. Home 

 on the 2nd ot the hitter month. The first specimen 1 

 have seen was taken at Halfar in December 1909; from 

 that year I met with the species annually, and during the 

 winter of 1912-13 I found that these birds occurred in 

 fairly good numbers in the Valletta Market. I obtained 

 more than a dozen specimens, the majority of which I 

 mounted. The local name given by Giglioli and Blasius is 

 Malvizz rar. 1 find, however, that several sportsmen and 

 poulterers who happen to have met with the species, know 

 it by the local name given above ; this name after all is 

 only a translation of the Sicilian Turdiis russu. 



119. (6) Turdus sibiricus Pall. Siberian Thrush. 

 Local name : Mulcizz tul Lvant. 



In October 1912, Mr. C. Lanzon obtained one of these 

 birds, which was taken in the bat-net together with some 

 other Thrushes by a bird-catcher from Zurrico, known by the 

 name of " Angbu il Marrara" ; I heard of the occurrence. 

 At the time, however, the bird was wrongly identified by a 

 gentleman as Turdus varius. After some time I visited 

 Mr. Lanzon^s aviary and found that the specimen in ques- 

 tion belonged to the present species. Unfortunately the 

 bird, died while Mr. Lanzon was away from the place, and 

 the servants, being quite ignorant of its rarity, did not 

 preserve it. The local name of this bird, as Mr. Lanzon 

 stated, was given to it by its capturer, and I think it might 

 well be kept for the species, as it only signifies "Eastern 

 Thrush.^' 



120. (7) Turdus torquatus torquatus L. The Ring-Ouzel. 

 Local name : Malvizz tas'sidra rar. 



According to Schembri this species is rare and occurs on 

 passage in October and November ; he also states that he 

 had seen five specimens between 1830 and 1843. According 

 to Wright, it is the rarest of the Thrushes. Nevertheless, 



