THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 899.— May 15th, 1916. 



THE BREEDING BIRDS OF MALTA. 

 By Giuseppe Despott, M.B.O.U. 



(Curator Nat. Hist. Museum, Malta.) 



Besides the paucity of trees and the want of many other 

 conveniences indispensable for breeding birds, another reason 

 why the number of our breeding species is so very limited, and 

 nidification with the majority of these occurs rather sparingly, 

 is assuredly want of protection. 



The number of both licensed and unlicensed sportsmen and 

 fowlers is so large that very few chances of breeding are given 

 to the birds. 



Such a thing as a close-season is not known in Malta, and 

 yet, for some species, it is " a consummation devoutly to be 

 wished" by all except the purely wanton sportsman. 



This limited number of our breeding species may account for 

 the fact that no one has ever been encouraged to take up the 

 study of this branch of our ornithology ; in fact, so far as I am 

 aware, nothing has ever been published except a few occasional 

 notes in Schembri's and Wright's catalogues ; and of these 

 some are probably given on the statements of very superficial 

 observers. 



I have often heard that nests of such species as the Nightjar, 



Hoopoe, Oriole, Bee-eater, Roller, etc., have been found, but the 



replies to my queries regarding site of nest, constructory material, 



number, colour, and size of eggs have invariably been so unsatis- 



Zool. 4th ser., vol. XX., May, 1916. o 



