Colltct'ioii of Birds from the Mediterranean. 127 



Fringilla ccelebs ccelebs L. 



Egypt. — Wiiiter visitor ill small numbers. First observed 

 oil the iSlli of October^ when a male came on board ship at 

 sea off' the Damietta mouth of the Nile. Fresh arrivals con- 

 tinued up to the end of November^ when the numbers reached 

 a maximum and then decreased to winter proportions. 



Crete. — Plentiful in winter^ and a])peared to collect in 

 flocks about mid February, preparatory to a move northwards. 

 Courting and song were observed, but no direct evidence of 

 breeding was obtained, although it is probable that the species 

 does breed, but not in anything like the winter numbers. 



Platea. — Plentiful winter and summer. Presumably 

 resident. 



Thaso. — Chaflfinches plentiful IStli August. Probably 

 breed . 



Sicily. — Fair numbers breeding. Five incubated eggs 

 27th May, three fresh eggs 29th May. 



Malta. — Winter visitor only, last date seen 17th March. 



PeTIIOXIA PETRONIA * (L.) . 



The typical form of the liock-Sparrow was found breeding 

 abundantly in the limestone cliffs of the " Cavas " in Sicily. 

 Great caution was necessary in taking eggs, as in many cases 

 the nests were close to those of Passer hispanio/ensis maltce, 

 although the Rock-Sparrow seemed to prefer a small colony 

 of its own, or at any rate to colonize locally al)out the cliffs. 



The nests found were less bulky than those of "Passer," 

 and more neatly "^ stowed away ^' in their hole or crevice, 

 with less material protruding. The majority of nests con- 

 tained small yonng about 1st June, but fresh clutches of 

 seven, six, six, four eggs respectively were obtained between 

 26tli May and 2nd June. Taken as a whole, they differ con- 

 siderably from the Sparrows^ eggs in being larger and having 

 bolder, warm-umber coloured, markings, in which respect 

 they seem to approach eggs of Passer domesticus rather 

 than those of P. hispainolensis. 



* For the reason of the omission of tlie third name in this case see 

 footnote under Coccot/iraustes, p. 1:?4. 



