PETRONIA. 248 



The following Sparrow, which occurs in Turkestan, may possibly 

 hereafter be found within Indian limits : 



Passer ammodendri, Severtz. The male has the forehead, crown, 

 and nape narrowly black ; the sides of the crown and the sides of 

 the nape clear rufous ; chin and throat black ; lower plumage 

 ashy white ; upper plumage ashy brown, streaked with black. 

 The female has no rufous on the sides of the crown and nape, and 

 the chin and throat are pale brown. Tail 2'7, wing 3. 



Passer pyrrliopterus (Less.), mentioned by Jerdon (B. I. ii, 

 p. 367), is probably referable to P. domcsticus, but it is not easy to 

 identify it. It is not, however, likely to be a Sparrow which 

 remains to be rediscovered in Southern India. 



Genus PETRONIA, Kaup, 1829. 



The genus Petronia contains some species which resemble 

 Sparrows in structure and habits, but differ from them in having a 

 much stronger bill and longer wings. The only species found in 

 India is characterized by the presence of a yellow patch on the 

 throat in both sexes. This species has the same pattern on the 

 earlier primaries as the Sparrows. 



The E/ock-Sparrows frequent open rocky land and are gregarious. 



782. Petronia stulta. The Rock-Sparrow. 



Fringilla petronia, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 322 (1766). 



Fringilla stulta, Gmel Syst. Nat. i, p. 919 (1788). 



Petronia stulta (Gm.) Blyth, Cat. p. 120 ; Horsf. fy M. Cat. ii, 



p. 497; Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, p. 79; Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 674 ; 



Hume, S. F. ix, p. 343 (note). 

 Petronia petronia (Linn.), Sharpe, Cat. J3. M. xii, p. 289. 



Fig. 68. Head of P. stulta. 



Coloration. Male. The forehead and crown dark brown, with a 

 broad mesial buff band from the bill to the nape ; a broad super- 

 cilium buff; back and scapulars with the inner webs of the 

 feathers black, the outer buff; rump mingled brown and buff; 

 upper tail-coverts brown edged with buff; middle tail-feathers 

 ashy brown, becoming black towarks the tip and margined whitish : 

 the other feathers the same but with a large terminal white patch 



E2 



