630 Col. H. Melnertzhagen on Birds from [Ibis, 



A male shot on 3.iii. in the Upper Jordan Valley, with a 

 wino- of 80 mm., has a chocolate head and the back of Passer 

 hispaniolensis, and is apparently a hybrid between P. d. 

 hihlicus and P. h. trans raspicus. 



Passer domesticus niloticus. 



Passer d. niloticusWicoW & Bonhote, Bull. B. 0. C. xxii. 

 1909, p. 101 : Fayoum. 



Passer alexandrinus Madarasz, Ann. Mus. Nat. Hist. 

 Hung. ix. 1911, p. 340 : Alexandria. 



Passer d. chephreni Phillips, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 1913, 

 p. 167 : Giza, near Cairo. 



Much smaller than hihlicus in both wing and culmen, 

 The sides o£ the head are whiter than in hihlicus, but the ear- 

 coverts are grey and never Avhite. Wing of nine males 

 71-75 mm., and of one female 73 mm. Two males from 

 Alexandria run larger, having wings of 77 and 78 mm. 

 Birds from El Arish in northern Sinai seem to be inter- 

 mediate, four males havino; winos from 76 to 79 mm. 



The common resident Sparrow of the Egyptian Delta from 

 Alexandria to Cairo and up the Nile as far as at least Wasta 

 and the Eayoum. Absent from Mersa Matruh and Solium 

 on the western Egyptian coast. No sparrows occur in the 

 Siwa Oasis. Also common on the Suez Canal from Port 

 Said to Suez. 



Passer domesticus halfae. 



Passer d. halfie Melnertzhagen, Bull. B. 0. ( '. xli. 1921, 

 p. 67 : Wadi Haifa. 



Very similar to arhoreus, but slightly larger and less 

 brightly coloured. Upper tail-coverts and rump pure smoky 

 grey, whereas in arhoreus these parts nearly always have a 

 few feathers tipped with chestnut. The chestnut on the 

 back is more confined and less intense. Differs from indicus 

 in having the top of the head a paler brighter blue-grey and 

 in being slightly smaller. Is at once distinguished from 

 niloticus by the large extent of a brighter, purer chestnut on 

 the back. Wing of five males 73 to 80 mm. 



