236 



Distribution. The plains of India from the foot of the 

 Himalayas down to Travancore, and from Sind eastwards to about 

 the longitude of Midnapore in Bengal ; also Ceylon. This species 

 ascends the Himalayas in parts, and the hill-tracts of the south of 

 India up to about 4000 feet. It extends westwards to Persia. 



Habits, fyc. Breeds from April to July, constructing a small nest 

 of grass and feathers in holes of trees and more rarely in houses. 

 The eggs, three or four in number, are greenish white, densely 

 blotched all over with brown, and measure '74 by -55. 



Genus PASSER, Briss., 1760. 



The genus Passer contains the true Sparrows, which are well 

 represented over the greater part of the Old World. In this genus, 

 as restricted by me, both sexes agree in exhibiting a peculiar 

 pattern on the outer webs of the earlier primaries, caused by the 

 varying width of the margins of the feathers. The bill is short 

 and stout and the culmen slightly curved. 



The Sparrows are mostly well-known birds which frequent the 

 neighbourhood of towns and villages. A few species, however, are 

 only found in the open country away from houses. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Back streaked with black. 

 a'. No super cilium. 



a". Crown of head ashy grey. 



a'". Chin, throat, and whole breast 



black P. domesticus <$ , p. 236. 



b 1 ". Chin and upper throat only 



black P. pyrrhonotus <$ , p. 238. 



b". Crown of head red or rufous. 



c'". Chin, throat, and breast black. P. hispaniolensis <$ , p. 239. 

 d n> . Chin and throat only black. 



a 4 . A black patch on ear-coverts. P. montamis, p. 240. 

 b 4 . No black patch on ear-coverts. P. cinnamomeus tf , p. 240. 

 b'. A superciliurn. 



c". Lower plumage more or less 



streaked P. hispaniolensis $ , p. 239. 



d". Lower plumage unstreaked. 

 e'". No yellow in lower plumage. 



c 4 . Wing about 3 P. domesticus $ , p. 236. 



d\ Wing about 2'5 P. pyrrhonotus $ , p. 238. 



/'". Lower plumage decidedly 



yellow P. cinnamomeus $ , p. 240. 



b. No black streaks on back P.faiveolus, p. 242. 



776. Passer domesticus. The House-Sparrow. 



Frinoilla domestica, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 323 (1766). 



Passer indicus, Jard. 8f Selby, III. Orn. iii, pi. 118 (1835?) ; Blyth, 



Cat. p. 119 ; Horsf. # M. Cat. ii, p. 499 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 362 ; 



Hume, N. fy E. p. 457 ; Gates, B. B. i, p. 346. 

 Passer domesticus (Linn.}, Hume, Cat. no. 706 ; Legge, Birds Ceyl. 



