294 PASSER 



$ ad. (England). Differs from P. domcsticus in Laving the crown, 

 nape, and hind-neck coppery red ; a large black patch on each side of the 

 head below the ear, and two distinct white bands across the wing ; bill 

 black ; legs light brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'45, wing 2'8, 

 tail 2'25, tarsus 0'7 inch. In the winter the plumage is a trifle greyer, the 

 black feathers on the throat have whitish edges, and the bill is reddish 

 grey at the base below. The female is slightly duller, the chin and upper 

 throat alone are black, slightly marked with white, and the breast and 

 flanks are washed with brown. 



Hob. Europe generally, except in Portugal ; Great Britain 

 even to the Outer Hebrides ; Sweden common to Upland, 

 thence rarely to 68 30' N. Lat. ; Norway as far north as east 

 and west Finmark ; Asia through Siberia to Japan ; Asia 

 Minor, Persia, Turkestan, Afghanistan, the Himalayas to 

 Assam, Burmah, China, and the Malay peninsula and Philip- 

 pines, to Java ; somewhat rare in N. Africa ; has been introduced 

 into N. America. 



In Europe it is nqt so often found near habitations as it is in 

 the fields and groves, whereas in the east it takes the place of 

 our House-sparrow, and is found chiefly about human habita- 

 tions. It is as gregarious as P. domesticus, and quite as active 

 and cheerful, though scarcely so noisy. Its note is also similar 

 but somewhat softer and more agreeable, and the male has a 

 regular song. It feeds on seeds of various kinds, chiefly those 

 of noxious weeds, and its young are fed on caterpillars and 

 various kinds of insects. For the purposes of nidification it 

 selects with us the hollow of a tree or a hole in a wall, though in 

 Eastern Asia it builds in preference in a house, usually under 

 the eaves. Its nest resembles that of P. domcsticus and is 

 also carefully lined with feathers, but is smaller. The eggs 

 resemble those of P. domcsticus but are, as a rule, darker and 

 smaller measuring about O73 by 0*55. Two or even three 

 broods are reared in the season. 



431. DESERT-SPARROW. 

 PASSER SIMPLEX. 



Passer simplex (Licht,), Verz. Doubl. p. 24 (1823) ; Temm. pi. col. iii. 



pi. 358 ; Dresser, iii. p. 603, pi. 179 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. 



p. 339 ; Koenig. J.f.O. 1896, p. 120, tab. vii. fig. 10 (eggs). 



$ ad. (N. Africa). Upper parts isabelline grey, the crown greyer ; 



quills brownish grey, towards the ends blackish and tipped with creamy 



white ; secondaries isabelline on the outer web ; lesser wing-coverts 



white ; larger coverts blackish, broadly tipped with isabelline ; upper 



tail-coverts creamy white; tail scoiy brown, darker towards the tip, 



