336 FErNGILLID^!. 



21. Passer diffusus. 



Pyrgita diffusa, Smith, Rep. S. Afr. Exped., App. p. 50 (1836). 



Pyrgita gularis, Less. Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 45. 



Fringilla grisea (nee V. ), Lafr. Rev. Zool. 1839, p. 95. 



Pyrgita simplex {nee Licht,), Sivains. B. W. Afr. i. p. 208 (1837); 



Gordon, C'ontr. Orn. 1819, p. 10. 

 P}Tgita spadicea, Licht. Vers. Vog. Kaffernl. p. 15 (1842). 

 Passer diffusus, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 373 (1849) ; Hartl, Orn. W.- 



Afr. p. 151 (1857) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 204 (1867) ; Hartl. 



P. Z. S. 1867, p. 826 ; Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 87, no. 7283 (1870) ; 



Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 143; id. Cat. Afr. B. p. 69 (1871); 



Ayres, Ibis, 1871, p. 258; Gurney, in Anderss. B. Dam.-Land, 



p.' 187 (1872) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1875, p. 80; Sharpe 8f Bouvier, Bull. 



Soc. Zool. France, i. p. 49 (1876) ; Shelley, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 589; 



Sharpe, in Gates' Matabele Land, App. p. 321 (1881) ; Sakin, Cat. 



Strickl. Coll. p. 210 (1882) ; Butler, Feilden, $ Reid, Zool. 1882, 



p. 300 ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. pp. 480, 850 (1883) ; 



Schalow, J.f. O. 1883, p. 364; Fischer, Zeitschr. yes. Orn. i. p. 320 



(1884) ; Rochebr. Faun. Seney., Ois. p. 257 (1885). 

 Pyrgitopsis diffusa, Bp. Consp. i. p. 511 (1850). 

 Passer simplex, Cab. Mas. Bern. Th. i. p. 156 (1850) ; Hartl. Orn. 



Westafr. p. 150 (1857) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 205 (1867) ; Heugl. 



Orn, 'N.O.-Afr. i. pt. 2, p. 636 (1870); Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. 



p. 87, no. 7282 (1870) ; Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 143 ; id. Ibis, 



1870, p. 483; id. Cat, Afr. B. p. 68 (1871); Nicholson, P. Z. S. 



1878, p. 358 ; Forbes, Ibis, 1883, p. 508 ; Rochebr. Faun. Seney., 



Ois. p. 256 (1885). 

 Passer swainsoni (nee Riipp.), Reichen. J.f. 0. 1877, p. 29 ; Bocaye, 



Orn. Angola, p. 539 (1881). 

 Passer occidentalis, Shelley, Ibis, 1883, p. 548. 



Adult male. Similar to P. swainsoni, but smaller, paler in colour, 

 and distinguished especially by its white throat and whiter abdo- 

 men. Total length 6 inches, culmen 0-4, wing 3-35, tail 2-4, • 

 tarsus 0-75. 



Adult female. Similar to the male : " bill brown ; base of lower 

 mandible pale brownish orange ; iris hazel ; legs brown " (F. Brad- 

 sliaw). Total length 5'S inches, culmen 0'5, wing 3-1, tail 2*3, 

 tarsus 0*75. 



A male from the Transvaal, apparently an immature bird, has 

 the back mottled with black centres to the feathers, as in an 

 ordinary Sparrow, and the whole tone of the plumage is browner. 

 This is the only specimen of the P. diffusus group in the Museum 

 which has a mottled back, and, instead of being a young bird, it 

 may belong to a distinct species. 



At one time I was disposed to keep the West-African Sparrow 

 distinct from the South- African P. diffusus ; but I have now come 

 to the conclusion that there is a perfect intergradation between the 

 two forms. Captain Shelley is undoubtedly right in showing that, 

 at all events, the West-African bird could not bear the name of 

 P. simplex, a title preoccupied for the Algerian Desert Sparrow ; but 

 Lesson's name of gularis would then be available for any one who 

 wishes to separate the West- African bird. 



