296



Dr. Arthur G. Butter,



lamp until well blackened : the extent of the dull black patch

varies somewhat, but I have not seen one egg without it among

the many which my birds have broken. In shape they are broad

ovals resembling, both in outline and general size, those of the

Greater Whitethroat.


Capt. Shelley gives the following account of the distri¬

bution of Petronia dentata in Africa:—“ The Lesser Rock-

Sparrow inhabits northern Tropical Africa between about 9 0 and

18 0 N. lat.


The occurrence of this species in West Africa was first

made known to us by Dr. P. Rendall, who procured it close to

Bathurst on the Gambia river, and Sig. Fea has obtained speci¬

mens on the Bissagos islands at Bulamo and Bissas. At Gambaga,

about 250 miles due north of Cape Coast Castle, Captain W.

Giffard collected a male and two females in January, August and

November, 1898, and Col. H. P. Northcott has presented to the

British Museum a male and an apparently young female killed

at the same place in January and July. Capt. Boyd Alexander

has, more recently, met with the species at Walwali, Gambaga,

and Karaga, so these birds must be not only resident, but also

plentiful in this district.


These Sparrows cross the Continent, for they range over

Abyssinia generally, but I cannot trace them farther south than

9 0 N. lat. I11 this latitude, on the Nile near the mouth of the

Seraf river, Captain H. M. Dunn obtained a specimen, and Lord

Lovat shot one at Maritchi in South Abyssinia. In Slioa accord¬

ing to Dr. Rogazzi it is abundant, and he collected specimens at

Farre, and Antinori others at Ambo-Karra.


From Northern Abyssinia there are specimens in the

British Museum collected by Dr. Blanford and Mr. Jesse at Rairo,

Anseba, Gelamet, Bejook and Waliko.”


The only published notes on the habits of the species

would seem to be those of Von Heuglin, who “ met with the

species along the Blue Nile and its tributaries, near the White

Nile, and in the Abyssinian lowlands. They were found in pairs

or small flocks along the openings in the woodlands or perched



