294



Dr. Arthur G. Butler,



THE LESSER ROCK-SPARROW.


Petronia dentata.


By Arthur G. Butler, Pli.D.


In the February number of Vol. IV. of the Magazine, a

note was inserted on the cover asking members of the Society

to forward to me dead specimens of any birds with perfect wings,

to enable me to extend my study of sexual differences in birds.


Several months later, as recorded in my ‘ Foreign Bird-

Keeping ’ part I. p. 44, a travelling cage reached me in which

were three living birds:—a Long-tailed Grass-Finch, and two

different-looking small Sparrows. Outside, the cage was pen¬

cilled :—“Parson Finch with injured wing, and two foreign

Sparrows ; better send them to Dr. Butler (address added), who

is studying the wings of birds.” I never discovered the sender,

nor could anyone definitely name for me the two Sparrows,

though everyone believed them to be a pair. The late Mr.

Abrahams told me they were a pair of ‘ Yellow-throated Spar¬

rows,’ and that the hen was a most murderous bird, attacking

and killing birds even larger than herself: I therefore never

turned this supposed pair into an aviary, but kept them per¬

manently in a flight cage, with a small cage hanging up in one

corner, in which I hoped to breed the species.


From time to time, year after year, from 189S up to the

present time, a nest has been built in the hanging cage, and eggs

have been laid (though rarely in the nest) ; these have generally

been broken by the birds ; though last year both birds spent

some time on the nest, attempting to hatch out two or three

eggs which chanced to be laid therein.


The eggs are almost certainly quite unknown to science,

inasmuch as Von Heuglin’s statement that “ their eggs, which

he found in a Weaver-bird’s nest, were pure white,” is still

quoted as authoritative by Capt. Shelley in his ‘ Birds of Africa ’

(Vol. III. p. 263). Without doubt the eggs found by Von

Heuglin were Weaver’s eggs, many of which are white.



