PASSER. g09 



Male. Head, neck, back, rump, scapulars and under tail coverts pale 

 earthy brown ; a pale or fulvous superCilitim, more distinct in females ; chin 

 white; throat-spot yellow ; the rest of the under surface whity brown, albe- 

 scent on the vent and under tail coverts ; primaries and secondaries dull brown, 

 the primaries edged paler and tipped whitish, as are also the secondaries ; 

 tertiaries broadly edged and tipped with fulvous ; lesser wing coverts chestnut; 

 median and greater coverts dull brown, tipped with fulvous white, forming two 

 conspicuous wing bars ; edge of the wing white ; tail dull brown, the outer- 

 most feathers on each side paler. 



The female wants the chestnut on the wing, and is more brown in colour 

 beneath; the throat-spot too is less bright; upper mandible black, lower 

 yellowish at the base ; irides brown ; legs pale brown. 



Length. 5-5 inches; wing 3-4; tail 2 ; tarsus -7. 



Hob. Sind, Punjab, N.-W. Provinces Beloochistan, Persia, Rajputana, 

 Kutch, (Kattiawar, Jodhpore), N. Guzerat, Deccan and Concan. Other 

 localities are Shiraz, Bushire, Fao, all over Sind, Kutch, Sharunpore, Lucknow, 

 Etawah, Allahabad, Mhow, Indore, Saugor, Mahableshwar, the Malabar 

 countries, Travancore, and Mysore. 



Breeds throughout India nearly, during the months of April and May, also in 

 June, in holes in trees in which a little grass is placed, but thickly lined with 

 feathers, hair, tow, or any suitable fibrous material. Eggs, three to four, dull 

 and glossless, moderately elongated ovals, greenish white or glossless white, 

 thickly streaked, smudged and blotched with brownish. 



Gen. Passer. Briss. 



Bill broad at base, slightly scooped at tip j 2nd and 3rd quills longest ; 

 nostrils partly covered by plumes. 



831. Passer montanilS, Koch., Syst. Baier, Zool.p. 219; MacGiU, 

 Brit. B. i. p. 351 ; Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 120; Jerd., B. Ind. \\. 

 p. 306; Hume, Nests and Eggs, Ind. B. p. 460 ; id. Sir. F. 1874, p. 481 ; 

 Bianf., East. Pers. ii. p. 255 ; Hume, Sir. F. 1879, pp. 67, 107; Oates, B. 

 Br. Burm. i. p. 348 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. p. 302. The RED- 

 HEADED or MOUNTAIN SPARROW. 



Above fawn colour, the mantle with ashy fulvous edgings and broad black 

 streaks ; lower back and rump, also the upper tail coverts ashy brown, tinged 

 with fulvous ; lesser wing coverts uniform chestnut ; median series black with 

 broad white tips, forming a wing bar ; greater series dusky blackish edged with 

 pale rufous brown and with white at the ends ; primary coverts and primaries 

 the same ; tail brown edged -with ashy tulvous ; entire head vinous chestnut ; 

 lores, feathers under the eye, and a patch under the ear coverts black j sides 

 of face and neck white ; chin and throat black ; under surface of the body 



