1922.] the Birds of Sind. 649 



common round Hyderabnil in winter as well as meeting with 

 it at Karachi,, tliough at this season it is rather u quiet 

 secretive bird. 



I found it common in " kandi " jungle near Jhimpir and 

 in old tamarisk forest near Jerruck during the nesting 

 season, and hero holes in trees must be utilized. Round 

 Karachi it is not at all a common biid owino" to lack of trees : 

 one pair bred in an isolated " baboo] " grove along the 

 Sehwan road, and I could find no liole in these sound young 

 trees wherein the birds could have nested, and I am inclined 

 to think that an old House-C/row's nest was utilized. At 

 Hyderabad the tops of lamp-posts were formerly used. 



The food of this bird I have found to consist of the seeds 

 of grasses etc., and it is very fond of the contents of the 

 flower of the Leafless Caper or ^'"lAvru" (Caj)paris aph/lla), 

 and its forehead is often stained with the pollen. 



Sind birds are inseparable from those from Persian Belu- 

 chistan, and differ from the central Indian birds in the paler 

 upper parts and lesser wing-coverts. The juvenile resembles 

 the female, but is more ochraceous brown above and lacks 

 the yellow throat-spot. It has a complete post-juvenile 

 moult and so resembles Passer more than Fringilla, and the 

 bill in the juvenile is also more Sparrow-like. In the 

 breeding season the bill is black, flesh-coloured at the base of 

 the lower mandible ; legs and feet lead-grey ; in winter the 

 ])ill is brown or bluish black and the legs and feet brownish ; 

 the juvenile has the bill horny-flesh, legs and feet pale lead- 

 grey. 



Males measure : wing 8l-85"5 mm. : bill from base 

 14-lG. 



Passer domesticus indicus Jard. it Selby. " Cheelee." 

 The House-Sparrow is, of course, abundant throughout 

 the length and breadth of Sind, wherever there are human 

 habitations, far from which, however, it does not occur. In 

 some places where only a few huts or an odd bungalow are 

 the only signs of habitation, especially in thick jungle 

 country, it is scarce, and also I have found it not very 



