176 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



inclined to think that the nests which are found belong to birds 

 which have but freshly arrived. 



The site chosen by this bird wherein to nest is usually a deep 

 crevice of the high rocks on the south of the island, or in the 

 more unfrequented parts of some of our valleys. 



The same nest is generally used again, not only during the 

 same season, but for many successive years. 



I have never been able to examine a nest myself, but I have 

 been told that very little or no material at all is used, the 

 chalky- white eggs, two or four in number, being often laid on the 

 bare earth. The breeding of the Barn-Owl in the ruined walls 

 of Valletta and the three cities (which both Schembri and 

 Wright mention), must be considered now a thing of the past. 



The breeding-season commences in April, and freshly-laid 

 eggs have been found even as late as the beginning of August ; 

 and more than one brood is generally reared. 



24. Hobby. 



Falco subbuteo, Linn. — Seker tal hannieka. 



The Hobby, which is usually a common visitor during both 

 passage seasons, but especially during the Spring, has been 

 known, though rarely, to nest here. 



I obtained one nest on May 12th, 1910. 



The material of which it was composed consisted of old straw, 

 small twigs, and some very dirty feathers belonging to domestic 

 birds. 



The eggs, three in number, are of a creamy-white colour, so 

 thickly mottled over with light red and brown as to hide the 

 ground-colour almost entirely, and thus give them the appear- 

 ance of a uniform light red mottled over with several shades of 

 brown. 



I am inclined to think that this is the Falcon alluded to by 

 Schembri and Wright as being a resident and breeder here, and 

 not the Peregrine, which is here very rare. 



25. Kestrel. 

 Falco tinnuncidus, Linn. — Spanjulett. 

 The Kestrel is one of the most common species of its genus 

 which visits us during both passage-seasons, and it might be 



