List of Bir-ds observed in Malta and Gozo. 489 



the birds of Malta; but I heard of another example shot about 

 the same time. 



The following are some notes relating to rare and occasional 

 visitors : — 



Neophron per cnopter us (Ibis^ 1864, p. 44). Another example 

 of this very rare visitor was captured here in Septeuiber 1869. 



Circaetus gallicus (Ibis, 1864, p. 45). A female specimen 

 was obtained on the 15th of November, 1866, and was preserved 

 for the University Museum. 



Milviis niger (Ibis, 1864, p. 46). On the 20th of September, 

 1864, I saw a specimen of this bird in the market. It is one of 

 the rarest birds that visit this island in migration. 



Circus cyaneus (Ibis, 1864, p. 46). I have before noticed the 

 remarkable paucity of males of this species. On the 2nd of 

 November, 1869, I obtained in the market an adult male alive. 

 It may be at once distinguished from C.pallidus (the commonest 

 species here) by its darker colouring and the absence of grey 

 bars on the upper tail-coverts. The presence of fine strise on 

 the breast is not a good distinction, as I have seen them on 

 examples of both species. The statement of Schembri, that the 

 males and females were equally common, evidently arose from 

 his mistaking for it C. palUdus — a species omitted in his Cata- 

 logue. 



Strix otus (Ibis, 1864, pp. 49, 292). Within the last two or 

 three years I have noticed several examples in the market, both 

 at the vernal and autumnal periods of migration. There was a 

 live bird on the 20th of October, 1869; and I have since seen 

 two or three others. About the same time S. brachyotus was 

 unusually plentiful. 



Pyrrkula githaginea (Ibis, 1864, p. 51). Several young birds 

 were taken during the summer of 1869 ; and in October I 

 detected one among a number of Finches on the stalls in the 

 market. 



Passer petronia (Ibis, 1864, p. 53). In the autumn of 1869 

 there appears to have been an unusually numerous migration of 

 this bird, a good many having been taken both by the net and 

 the gun. 



Emberiza cirlus (Ibis, 1864, pp. 54, 292) . Since 1863 several 



