1921.] tlio Near East and Tropical East Africa. 629 



Corvus comix paUescens (Mad.). — Small and pale. 



Cyprus. 

 Corvus comix miiios Meinertz. — Medium and pale. 



Crete. 

 Corvus comix sliarpii Gates. — Large and pale. Western 



Asia. 

 Corvus comix capellanus Scl. — Very large and very 



pale. Persian Gulf. 



PASSER DOMESTICUS. 

 I collected large series of Sparrows at all seasons from 

 Damascus, throughout Palestine, and in Egypt. 



Passer domesticus biblicus Hartert. 



Adult male in fresh autumn plumage has the back, 

 primaries, and ta,il paler than in P. d. domesticus, the crown 

 browner, not so bluish. Ear-coverts grey as in P. d. domes- 

 ticus. Rump similarly coloured to the head, whereas in the 

 typical race the head is greyer than the rump. In spring- 

 plumage the adult male more closely resembles the tvpical 

 race, but the back, head, and rump are paler. 



Two birds in the Tring Collection, labelled respectively 

 Syria and Palestine, appear to more closely resemble indicus 

 in the colour of the ear-coverts, which are almost pure 

 white, but their wings — 79 and 80 mm. — are nearer bihhcus. 

 Birds from Eregli (S.E. Asia Minor) are similarly coloured 

 and tend towards indiois. Birds from Cyprus (five 

 examined) appear to be typical bihlicus. Wings of five 

 males 76-81 mm. 



Palestine and Syrian birds measure : — 



26 (?. Wing 77, 79-83 mm. 

 4 ? . Wing 78-81 mm. 



The culmen of hiblicus is as in the typical race. 



This race occurs in Syria and Palestine, at least from 

 Damascus and Beyrouth south to Beersheba, throughout 

 Palestine and the Jordan Valley to the Sinai Peninsula. 

 Also in Cyprus. Birds from Suez and the Suez Canal are 

 niloticus. 



