ITALIAN HOUSE 8PABB0W. 49 



GRANIVOR^. 



Familtj FRINGILLID^. (Bona^mrteJ 



Genus Passer. fBrisson.J 



ITALIAN HOUSE SPARROW. 



Passer dojnesticus cisalpinus. 



Passer domesticiis cisalpinus, Schlegel. 



" " var. /?, Keyserling et Blasius. 



" italicB, Bonaparte. Gray; Hand List, 



No. 7269. 



" italiciis, Degland. 



Fringilla cisalpina, Temminck. 



Fyrgita italicE, ViElLLOT. 



Moineau cisalpin, Of the French. 



Italianischer Haussperling, Of the Germans. 



Passer a reale, Savi. 



" capcmnaja, Stor. 



Characters of Variation. — Back light chesnut and black; top of the head 

 and nape maroon or brown; flanks unicolorous; the first primary is longer 

 than the third, and very nearly as long as the second, which is slightly 

 the longest in the wing; wings reach more than half way down the tail. 

 Length about six inches. 



It is impossible to resist the fact that the present is only a per- 

 manent variety of the Domestic Sparrow. I have endeavoured with 

 the greatest care, by a comparison of specimens, to detect any real 

 specific difference, but without success. The Italian bird differs from 

 the Domestic Sparrow in some unimportant yet permanent colouration, 

 and the wings extend further down the tail when closed. There is 

 also a slight difference in the second primary, which is relatively to 

 ^'0L. IV. li 



