THE BIEDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 295 



some other places inhabited by men. According to the statements of the 

 peasants and Cossacks, these Sparrows have greatly increased in numbers on 

 the Ussuri since the settlement of our people increased. 



151. Passer ammodendri, Sev. Vorobey sacsaulney. 



This Sparrow, which, a few years ago, M. SevertzofF discovered in 

 Turkestan^, was found by us on its eastern limit of distribution — i. e. in Ala- 

 shan and Ordos. Unlike its congeners, the present species avoids human 

 habitations, and inhabits exclusively the deserts, especially the " sacsaulnic " 

 thickets, on the seeds of which it principally feeds, as we usually (and even 

 in spring) found these seeds in the crops of birds killed by us. 



P. ammodendri is very cautious, and does not often allow one to get 

 within gun-range. Its flight is quick, and sometimes very high up in the air. 

 The voice is similar to that of Passer domesticus, only somewhat shriller. It 

 breeds on the sacsaulnic trees, and mostly in the old nests of Kites, and 

 seldom makes its own, which latter is of a large cylinder-shape, about two 

 feet long and about one foot wide at the bottom ; but at the top it gets 

 narrower, measuring only about half a foot. The outer structure consists 

 of Agriophyllum gohicum and " sacsaulnic " branches ; but the interior is 

 built of camels' hair, and lined with feathers of Grus virgo. 



In the nests of Kites, even when they are occupied by the owners, these 

 Sparrows build in the dry sticks which form the outer structure, and line 

 them with camels' hair, but always make them cylindrical in shape. 



Occasionally they also breed in destroyed huts, or even in the walls of 

 wells. 



The number of eggs varies from three to five. They are white, or 

 white with a brown shade, and spotted with reddish brown, the latter 

 being more intense on the thick end. Large diameter 0"*81-~0'^-92, small 

 diameter 0''-57-0''-63. (Plate xx. figs. 8, a, h.) 



