246 Mr. H. F. Witherhy—Ornitliological 



formation of the hollow in the caked ground. The nest 

 contained one egg, from which the female flew on our 

 approach. 



Adult. Iris dark brown ; bill bluish white ; legs and feet 

 dull flesli-coloiir. 



10. EmBERIZA FLAVIGASTBA Rlipp. 



An examination of the fine series of Emberiza flaviventris 

 in the British Museum makes it evident that the South- 

 African bird can easily be separated from its more northern 

 representative^ the Emberiza flavigustra of Ruppell. In the 

 South-African bird the rich orange-buft' of the upper breast 

 is more extensive and very much richer in tone than in the 

 northern birdj while the yellow on the lower part of the 

 breast of E. flaviventris extends down the sides, whereas in 

 E. flavigastra it is confined to a medial line on the belly, the 

 sides and flanks being white up to the middle of the breast. 

 In fact, the breast of Emberiza flavigastra is very much like 

 that of Emberiza poliopleura. AVe saw only one specimen 

 of this bird, which was obtained at Kawa. 



Adult. Iris hazel; bill, upper mandible horn-colour, lower 

 mandible pale brownish ; legs and feet pale brown. 



11. Passer rufidorsalis Brehm. 



The House- Sparrows of Khartum and the White Nile 

 were considered by Brehm to be worthy of specific dis- 

 tinction. A search through the series of Passer domesticus 

 at the British Museum failed to discover any bird approaching 

 my specimens from the White Nile for smallness of size 

 and richness and brightness of colouring, while those from 

 Khartum (A. Brehm coll.) and from Lado (Emin Pasha 

 coll.) at Tring agree perfectly with my birds. The wing of 

 the male of Passer rufldorsalis measures only 2| inches. 

 W^hen first I saw these Sparrows at Omdurman I was at once 

 struck by their very fine colouring. 



12. Passer diffusus (Smith). 



"We found this Sparrow here and there from Kawa to 

 near Khartum, but it was nowhere plentiful and seemed to 



