SPARROWS 151 



size, shape and markings, some being almost Mack with the 

 profusion and darkness of the blotches, while others are 

 quite light owing to the scarcity and paleness of the mottling. 



They eat almost anything and during the grain season do 

 quite an appreciable amount of damage in company with 

 their cousins, the Weaver-birds. 



The Cape Sparrow's range is fairly general in South Africa, 

 but only extends into the Coast Districts of the Eastern 

 portion of the Cape during the winter months ; its most 

 southerly nesting grounds seem to be the high veld at the 

 Great Fish River in the Albany Division. 



The male differs from the female in his brighter tints and 

 black head, the female having a grey head with pale eyebrow. 

 Length, 6 inches. 



There is a larger (length, (i.J inches) and more robustly built 

 species than either of the two preceding, viz. the Greater 

 South African Sparrow (Passer motitensis). This bird is pale 

 red-brown above streaked with black. Top of head grey. 

 Cheeks, sides of neck and under parts white, excepting the 

 throat and upper chest, which is black. Length, 6 J inches. 

 The female has the top of the head brown and only the 

 throat blackish. It is not known south of the Orange River. 

 In the Central and Northern Transvaal it is fairly common at 

 times, but is a scarce bird when compared with its audacious 

 brother above mentioned. 



Another scarcer species is the Grey-headed Sparrow (P. 

 griseus) ranging from the northern and north-eastern districts 

 of the Cape, throughout the sub-continent. Both sexes 

 resemble the female of the Mossie in colour, but can be dis- 

 tinguished from this bird by its shriller call-note and dark 

 grey head without a light-coloured eyebrow. Its nidification 

 was first described by Major Sparrow in the Journal of the 

 South African Ornithologists' Union, for July, 1905, and 



