Journey in Fars, S.W. Persia. 523 



19. Passer salicarius (Vieill.). 



Passer salicarius (Vieill.) ; Blanf. t. c. p. 255. 



62, 192, 459. Ad. 



Specimens from Asia Minor and Persia have the pale 

 markings on the mantle, the sides of the throat, and the 

 abdomen whiter than is usual with European birds. Herr 

 von Tschusi has divided this species into several subspecies 

 (Orn. Monatsb. 1902, p. 96), but I have not been able to 

 distinguish the differences between his P. s. trans caspius 

 and P. s. palest ina. 



Dr. Blanford considered the Spanish Sparrow scarce in 

 Persia, but I found it in very large numbers in certain 

 localities. 



About 20 pairs were building nests in some acacia-trees 

 at Kamarij (2700 ft.) on March 30th. Near Nudan 

 (3200 ft.) we found enormous colonies of these birds nesting 

 in small trees and bushes. There were often a dozen of 

 their large domed nests, made of green grass, in one bush, 

 and the chattering of the colony could be heard at a 

 distance of quite half a mile. The ground round about 

 their nests was very foul and the stench was strong. They 

 were beginning to lay on April 17th, and I took six fresh 

 eggs from a nest on that date. 



On June 14th, near Nurabad (about 4000 ft.), twenty or 

 thirty miles from the colony just mentioned, we saw 

 thousands of these birds, both young and old, feeding in the 

 corn-stubbles, while the thorn-bushes round about were 

 weighed down with clusters of their deserted nests. 



20. Passer domesticus indicus. 



Passer indicus Jard. & Selby ; Blanf. t. c. p. 254. 



27, 63, 71, 72, 264, 298. Ad. 



This pale Eastern form of the House- Sparrow was the 

 only one seen. It was common in the larger towns and in 

 many of the villages up to an altitude of nearly 8000 ft., 

 but, owing to the scarcity of houses, it could not be called 

 a common bird in the part of Persia visited. 



2 m 3 



