THE HOUSE-SPARROW. 101 



PASSER DOMESTICUS 



40. Passer domesticus domesticus (L.) THE HOUSE- 

 SPARROW. 



FEINGILLA DOMESTICA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 183 (1758 

 " Europa." Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 

 Passer domesticus (Linnaeus), Yarrell, n, p. 89 ; Saunders, p. 179. 

 Passer hostilis Kleinschmidt, Falco 1915, p. 19. (Type : Tring, Herts.)* 



House-Sparrow (Passer d. domesticus) <? adult. Tree-Sparrow (Passer m. momanus). 



DESCRIPTION. Adult 'male. Winter. Fore-head, crown, and nape 

 grey, with varying amount of buff tinge (occasionally some chestnut 

 on fore-head) ; streak behind eyes joining patch on sides of neck 

 and continuing as a band round back of neck chestnut, much 

 concealed (especially on back of neck) by huffish fringes ; mantle 

 and scapulars broadly streaked black, chestnut and buff ; back, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts much like crown but more brownish, 

 not so grey ; lores and line under eyes black ; ear-coverts smoke- 

 grey ; sides of neck greyish-white, tinged buff ; chin, throat, and 

 centre of upper-breast black, partially concealed on throat and 

 breast by whitish fringes (frequently some chestnut amongst 

 black, very occasionally as much chestnut as blackt) ; rest of breast 

 and belly dull white, faintly tinged buff, and with very faint dark 

 shaft-streaks ; flanks dull grey, washed buff ; under tail-coverts 

 huffish-white, with brownish-grey centres ; axillaries white ; tail- 

 feathers black-brown, fringed buff ; primaries black -brown, fringed 

 chestnut-buff on outer and white on inner webs ; secondaries 

 same, but innermost broadly fringed both webs, and tipped 



* The only distinguishing character given by Pastor Kleinschmidt is size. 

 The wings of 90 British males measure 72-81 mm., average 76.2 and of 50 

 Continental males 75-82, average 78.9. The Continental House-Sparrow 

 thus averages larger than the British, but of the 90 British measured by us 

 only 17, or about 19 per cent., could be distinguished by their size. We, 

 therefore, cannot recognize P. d. hostilis. The subject has been previously 

 discussed by Mr. E. Stresemann, Bull. B.O.C., xxxin, pp. 47-9. H.F.W. 



f Chestnut on throat may be found in first-winter birds as well as adults, 

 and is not connected with age. 



