THE BREEDING BIRDS OF MALTA. 163 



up in some ruined building which it is impossible to climb 

 without running the risk of being buried beneath it. 



The nest is a rather bulky but loose structure of coarse 

 roots and hay ; both male and female take part in its construc- 

 tion, and they take from fourteen to fifteen days to complete it. 



Nidification commences in March and lasts till the end of 

 May. Two broods are generally reared in a' season, the nest 

 being sometimes partially, and sometimes entirely reconstructed 

 for the second brood. 



The eggs vary in number from five to seven, six, however, 

 being the usual number. Their colour is a sky-blue, varying 

 somewhat in intensity, some specimens being thickly spotted, 

 others only sparingly, with reddish brown. A variety is some- 

 times met with having no spots at all. 



2. Whitethroat. 

 Sylvia cinerea, Lath. — Beocafic ahmar. 



The Whitethroat, which during some years visits us in con- 

 siderable numbers, both in Autumn and in Spring, is by no 

 means a common breeder ; on the contrary, from my personal 

 experience, I can say that it must be considered very rare. 



I have found only four nests, all of which consisted of a light 

 construction of dry grass ; three of them had some horsehair and 

 wool as an inside lining. In shape they were rather deep, and 

 they were built in carob-trees at various elevations from the 

 ground. 



The eggs, from four to five in number, were of a greenish- 

 white colour clouded with grey, and speckled all over with 

 several shades of brown. 



Three of these nests I found from the middle to the last 

 week of April, and one during the second week of May. 



3. Garden-Warbler. 



Sylvia hortensis, Bechst. — -Beccafic. 



This is a rather common Warbler which visits us during 

 both passage-seasons, but especially in Spring. Every now and 

 then a pair or two are found nesting. 



