332 FRiNGixima:. 



18. Passer emini. 



Sorella emini bey, Hard. J. f. 0. 1880, pp. 211,325 ; Peh. Sitz. zool- 

 bot. Geselkch. Wien, xxxi. p. 150 (1881). 



Sorella emini, Hartl. Abhandl. nat. Ver. Bremen, vii. p. 123 (1881) ; 

 id. J.f. O. 1881, pi. i. figs. 3, 4; Abhandl. Bremen, viii. p. 201 

 (1882) ; Pek. Sitz. zool.-bot. Gesellsch. xxxii. p. 507 (1882) ; Fischer, 

 Zeitschr. ges. Orn. i. p. 322 (1881); Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. 

 Genov. (2) i. p. 171 (1884). 



Adult male. General colour above deep cbestnufc, darker and more 

 vinaceous on tbe head ; lesser and median coverts chestnut, like the 

 back ; greater coverts blackish, margined with sandy buff, the inner 

 ones edged and broadly tipped with chestnut ; bastard-wing dusky 

 blackish ; primary-coverts and quills dusky brown, edged with paler 

 brown, whiter near the base of the primaries, and forming a small 

 speculum ; the edges of the secondaries tinged with rufous ; upper 

 tail-coverts chestnut, like the back : tail-feathers dark brown, edged 

 with sandy buff; head all round as well as the entire under surface 

 of the body deep vinous chestnut, with a few whitish-edged feathers 

 on the abdomen ; thighs chestnut ; under tail-coverts whitish, with 

 browu centres : under wing-coverts and axillaries chestnut ; quills 

 below dusky, ashy whitish along the inner web : " bill black ; feet 

 reddish : iris dusky " (Emin). Total length 4-5 inches, culmen 0-4, 

 wing 2-35, tail 1-5, tarsus 0-6. 



Adult female. Different from the male, and Sparrow-like. General 

 colour above brown, the feathers of the back mottled with black 

 centres to the feathers ; scapulars, lower back, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts uniform chestnut : wing-coverts brown, with a reddish tinge, 

 the median series tipped with white ; greater coverts, bastard-wing, 

 primary-coverts, and quills dark brown, edged with pale brown, 

 the outer primaries margined with whitish near the base of the 

 outer web, forming a small speculum ; tail-leathers brown, edged 

 with lighter brown ; crown of head ashy grey, slightly tinged with 

 rufous ; occiput, nape, and hind neck ashy brown ; lores and a broad 

 superciliary streak vinous chestnut ; ear-coverts pale ashy brown ; 

 cheeks, throat, and fore neck pale vinous chestnut ; sides of neck 

 ashy, washed with chestnut ; remainder of under surface of body 

 ashy, washed with chestnut on the breast : the abdomen and under 

 tail-coverts whiter, the latter with browner centres : sides of body 

 and flanks reddish brown ; thighs isabelline ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries isabelline, the latter tinged with rufous : quills below 

 dusky, ashy along the inner edge : " soft parts as in the male " 

 (Emin). Total length 4-5 inches, culmen 0-4, wing 2-35, tail 1-5, 

 tarsus 0*55. (Mus, G. E. Shelley.) 



Males in winter plumage have the back streaked with black centres 

 to the feathers, and have the rest of the chestnut plumage obscured 

 by ashy-whitish margins to the feathers. (Mus. G. E. Shelley.) 



Hob. Equatorial Africa from Shoa to the neighbourhood of Lado 

 and south to Masai-Land. 



a. 3 ad. sk. Lado, March 9, 1880 (Emin Bey). Forbes Coll. 



