476 Mr. M. J. Nicoll — Contributions 



August. At the Delta barrage these birds arrive somewhat 

 earlier, as I am informed by Mr. W. Draper, the Superin- 

 tendent of the Gardens there, than they do at Giza. It is 

 remarkable that this species should occur in Egypt, and 

 where they come from and where they go after nesting is at 

 present unknown. 



Shelley, in his 'Birds of Egypt,' p. 152, mentions an 

 Estrelda melanorhyncha as occurring near Alexandria^ and 

 as he did not meet with it he copies a description given by 

 Von Heuglin. If this should prove to be the same as my 

 birds. Von Heugliu's description must be that of a young 

 bird, a female, or a " male out of plumage." 



I am unable at present to find any differences between 

 Giza birds and Indian examples. 



92. Passer domesticus indicus. 

 Passer domesticus Shelley, p. 148. 



Passer domestica subsp. ? Hartert, ViJg. d. pal. Fauna, 

 ii. p. 151. 



Passer domesticus indicus Nicoll, Ibis, July 1908, p. 497. 



For the present I place the Sparrow of the Delta under 

 the above name, as it is almost indistinguisable from the 

 Indian bird. The ear-coverts of P. d. indicus are certainly 

 whiter than those of the Delta Sparrow, and I fancy that 

 the red of the upper parts is deeper in the Indian examples. 



This Sparrow is abundant in the cultivated parts of the 

 Province and ranges over the whole Delta. How far south 

 it extends I do not at present know. 



93. Fringilla ccelebs. 

 Fringilla ccelebs Shelley, p. 15. 



The Chaffinch is a regular winter visitor in small numbers ; 

 in some years it appears to be more abundant than in others. 



94. Passer hispaniolensis. 

 Passer salicicola Shelley, p. 149. 



During April 1909 numbers of Spanish Sparrows were 

 seen in the Zoological Gardens. Although it abounds in 

 the Delta during the winter, I have no other records of the 

 species from the Province of Giza. 



