Letters, Announcements, S^c. 241 



head and nape are deep chestnut (each feather narrowly tipped 

 at present with lightish brown that wears oflF later in the year), 

 instead of grey as in our domestic friend (or enemy, as some 

 consider him). On the mantle the feathers are centred with 

 black, edged, but by no means very broadly so, with straw-yellow, 

 instead of being very broadly margined with rufous or chestnut 

 as in the House- Sparrow. There is a well-marked white superci* 

 lium. The Willow-Sparrow is slightly larger and heavier, with 

 a larger bill and somewhat longer hind claw. 



The females of both species are much alike ; though a differ- 

 ence in size, similar to, though less marked than, that noticed in 

 the males, is observable. 



One difference between the females seems constant : those of 

 the Willow- Sparrow have the whole throat, front of the neck, 

 and breast obscurely but yet unmistakeably streaked wath faint 

 dusky longitudinal striae, similar to, though much less conspicuous 

 than, those exhibited by the females of Carpodacus ei-ythrinus. 

 This may be only a seasonal peculiarity ; but at the present mo- 

 ment it enables one at a glance to separate the females of the 

 two species. Other differences consist in the supercilium of the 

 Willow-Sparrow being more dingy, and in the entire absence in the 

 mantle of the very faint tinge of rufous almost always observable 

 in that of the female Indian House- Sparrow when freshly killed. 



I have lately killed a great number of the Indian Houbara, 

 Otis macqueeni, and hope soon to tell you more about them ; 

 at present, with reference to Dr. Jerdon^s remarks, I shall only 

 say that both male and female have, when adult, both the ruff 

 and crest ; they have these even now in December, and appa- 

 rently keep them at all seasons ; both are more developed in the 

 male than in the female. The sexes, except as regards length 

 of ruff and crest, are nearly alike in plumage, though the female 

 is a little lighter in colour ; the chief difference consists in the 

 size, the males weighing up to 5 1 lbs., the females never exceed- 

 ing 3^ lbs. Some old females had such fine ruffs that we took 

 them at the moment we shot them for males ; and others, young 

 males, as they proved on dissection, had such short ruffs that I 

 fancied they were very large females. 



I am, &c., Allan Hume. 



