THK FINfHKH AND WEAVEK lilKDS OF THE SUDAN 165 



it is a species whicli, from its numbers and wide disti'ibution, would i)o a very 

 destructive one if it did so. 



19. Piisufi- cransiroi'triii, Heugl. (Thick-billed Sparrow). Leiif^tli, 6'6 inches; 

 wing, 3-8. Very similar to P. diffHsun, but rather larger, with a nuich stouter bill, 

 and greyer underneath. It was discovered at Fazogli, on the Blue Nile, in ISO?, 

 but does not seem to have been noticed in the Sudan since, though it has been found 

 in East Africa. It would be interesting to tind it again in the neigbourhood of Eoseires. 



20. I'asiser eniiui, Hartl. (Emin Pasha's Sparrow). Length, 4-8 inches; 

 wing, 2'45. A small Sparrow in which the males are almost entirely dark chestnut- 

 brown. Eare. I have it from Meshra-El-Eek and Mongalla only. 



21. I'tisser hifi'iif:, Licht. (The Yellow Sparrow). Length, 5 inches; wing, 2-5. 

 Head, neck and breast, yellow ; most of back, chestnut. A very abundant, widely- 

 spread, and destructive Sparrow, ranging between about 12' and 20' N. It is common 

 at Khartoum in the sununer, making a large stick nest in lime trees. It is abundant 

 on the lower parts of the Blue and White Niles, and ranges north of Berber. In 

 April, 1903, I saw it in hundreds of thousands at Bara in Kordofan. Every thorn 

 zareba round cultivation was literally yellow with them. On that occasion Silverbills 

 in smaller, but very large numbers were feeding on the crops in com2)any with them. 



Genus : Fctrui/ia 



Both these Eock-Sparrows have a small patch of yellow on the throat. 



22. I'vtroiiia dentata, Sundev. (Lesser Eock-Sparrow). Length, 4-75 inches ; 

 • wing, about 3. A smallish brown Sparrow with mottled back. Quite a bush sparrow 



in its habits. Connnon, in moderate numbers in the Bahr-El-Ghazal ; I have it 

 from Eaffile, Wau, and Chak Chak. It also occurs on the Zeraf and on the Upper 

 Blue Nile. I do not know of it damaging crops. 



23. Petnntiii, pynjita, Heugl. (Heuglin's Rock- Sparrow). Larger, length, 

 5-7 inches ; wing, 3-2. Back, greyer and not mottled. This must be quite a rare 

 bird, and I have never been able to obtain it. Mr. Charles Rothschild collected 

 two examples at Shendi, and I remember seeing a specimen obtained at the Haraza 

 Hills, Western Kordofan, by Captain (now Major) H. N. Dunn, E.A.M.C, in 

 October, 1902. 



Family : I'Idccida} 



Sub-family : Vliluhis} 

 Genus : lli/intrhrnr 



24. Ifi/pw-hi'iii iiUnt iiiiiriiKi, Gm. (Indigo Finch). Length, about 4-5 inches; wing, i-amiiy 

 2-45. Males in breeding plumage glossy-blue-black, with wings and tail dark-brown, 

 and a little white under the wing. Bill whitish. Females and non-breeding males 

 mottled-brown above, with centre of crown bufl'. A widely distributed and tame 

 little bird, inclined to frequent houses and villages, and to visit " zeers " for water. 

 Often associated with the little crimson Fire-finch. I have it from Khartoum, the 

 Blue and White Niles, Gedaref, and Warr, and it ranges some distance north of 

 Khartoum. It builds an untidy sparrow-like nest, often in holes in buildings. 



25. 11 iijiorlwra wilsunl, Hartert. (Wilson's Indigo Finch). Very similar to the 

 last, but with the wings and tail much paler brown. A more southern species. 

 I have it from ^longalla only. 



Genus : Vidua 



26. Vidua principalis, Limi. (White-breasted Wliydah). Breeding male : length, 

 11-5 inches; wing, 2-8; longest feathers in tail 9 inches. Jet-black above, with a 



Floccida 

 Sub-family : 

 ViiiuiiuT 



