TREE-SPARROW. 87 



Himalayas, to Nepaul. Mr. Scully states that it is the 

 common species of Eastern Turkestan, where it is a 

 permanent resident up to an elevation of about 7,500 

 feet. Thence to the westward its limits are not easily 

 traced, for though De Filippi observed it at the foot of 

 Demavend, it does not seem to have been noticed by any 

 of the naturalists who have explored Armenia, Anatolia 

 or Palestine, nor is it recorded from the Caucasus, though 

 said to be abundant in South Russia. On the other hand 

 Dr. von Heuglin says that it visits Arabia and Egypt. 

 It occurs, though rarely, in Algeria. In the islands and 

 peninsulas of the Mediterranean it is scarce and extremely 

 local, but this last seems to be its characteristic everywhere 

 except in the more eastern part of its range, where, as already 

 stated, it has learnt to adapt itself to circumstances and has 

 become a dependent on man. Its distribution in Europe 

 generally calls for no further remark.* 



In summer the bill of the male is lead-coloured, but 

 during the rest of the year black : the irides hazel : the lores 

 and a streak under the eyes black ; the top of the head to 

 the nape dull nutmeg-brown ; cheeks and anterior ear-coverts 

 white, with a triangular black patch covering the posterior 

 ear-coverts and extending obliquely downwards to the jowl ; 

 mantle and scapulars bright orange-brown, lightest on the 

 nape, and broadly streaked with black; least upper wing- 

 coverts bright nutmeg-brown, the next tier black, with broad 

 huffy- white tips; the greater wing-coverts brownish-black, with 

 broad outer edges of orange-brown and tipped with buffy- 

 white ; wing-quills dull black, the primaries unevenly and 

 the rest evenly margined with orange-brown ; tail-coverts 

 uniform pale brown ; tail-quills brown, with light yellowish- 

 brown edges ; chin and throat black ; sides of the neck 

 white ; breast and belly dull brownish-white, darker or 

 tinged with buff on the sides, flanks and lower tail-coverts ; 

 lower wing-coverts pale fawn-colour : legs, toes and claws, 

 pale brown. 



* Dr. Brewer informs the Editor that it has been unconsciously introduced to 

 St. Louis in North America, as ascertained by Dr. Merrill. 



