478 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
Great Namaqua Land, where it occurred in small flocks at the 
water.” 
Male.—Upper parts rufous; under parts white; tail rufous; 
head, neck, and throat black: this colour extends from the throat, 
and divides into two broad lines on each side of the breast ; quill- 
feathers of wing black ; shoulders and coverts rufous; a white colour 
extends from the back of the throat round to the back of the neck ; 
bill black. The female is generally of a dull brown colour, lightest 
on the under parts. Length, 5”; wing, 2” 8”; tail, 2’’ 2’”. : 
Fig. Buff. Pl. Enl. 204, 
Fam. FRINGILLIDZ. 
473. Passer arcvatus (Gm.). Cape Sparrow. 
This bird has a curious distribution in the colony. It is common 
all over the western part of the Western Province. Mr. W. Atmore 
tells us that they are “scarce in the Longe Kloof and at George, 
while at the Knysna there are none at all. They abound where 
there are most mimosas.”” We found none at Port Elizabeth (though 
Mr. Rickard says they are to be met with on the Amsterdam Flats), 
nor were any to be seen at Van Staden’s River or Uitenhage. One 
pair were noticed at the half-way house between the former place 
and Grahamstown ; at the latter place they were very scarce, none 
at Highlands, and a single colony at Table Farm. Mr. Ayres 
records it from the Transvaal, but does not give anything peculiar 
respecting its distribution in that state; he says that it was very 
plentiful at Spalding’s on Hart’s River in February, “where many 
of the low thorny bushes hold one or two of their nests, which 
are made of sticks roughly put together and thickly lined with 
wool, which is the easiest soft material for them to procure.” 
Mr. Andersson observes: ‘ This Sparrow is very abundant all over 
Damara and Great Namaqua Land, and extends as far south as the 
Cape, where, however, it seems to be a trifle larger than in Damara 
Land ; it takes up its abode near to man, and in all its habits exactly 
resembles the House Sparrow of Europe. It makes a large rambling 
nest of grass and sticks, lined with feathers, down, &c., and placed 
either on a tree or bush or under the eaves of thatched roofs; the 
