passerine. 363 



The Indian House Sparrow. 



Descr. — Male, head above and nape dark grey ; a deep chesnut 

 patch behind the eye, widening on the nape ; wing-coverts, 

 scapulars, and mantle, dark chesnut, the scapulars and back with 

 brown stripes or dashes ; a white band on the tip of the lesser 

 coverts ; quills dusky, with their outer edges rufous, more broad 

 on the secondaries, and tipped pale ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 ashy brown ; tail dusky, light-edged ; lores, round the eyes, and 

 base of the bill, black ; chin, throat, and breast, black ; ear-coverts 

 and sides of the neck white ; lower parts whitish, ashy on the 

 sides of the breast and flanks. 



Bill horny brown ; irides light brown ; legs dusky. Length 

 5^ to 6 inches ; extent 9 ; wing 3 ; tail 2^. 



The female is light brown above, back and scapulars edged 

 with pale rufous ; a pale eye-streak, and the lower parts sullied 

 white ; slightly smaller than the male. 



The common Sparrow of India differs very little from that of 

 Europe, but most systematists agree in placing it as distinct. It 

 chiefly differs from P. domesticus in the greater purity of its 

 colours and in the female being somewhat paler. It is somewhat 

 smaller too than its European congener, the black of the breast in 

 the male is more extended laterally, and the cheeks and sides of 

 the neck are purer white, as are the lower parts generally, these 

 being distinctly ashy in the European bird. 



This Sparrow is generally diffused over all India, from the 

 extreme south and Ceylon, to the foot of the Himalayas, and 

 eastwards to Assam, Arrakan, and Upper Pegu, and also to Siam, 

 according to Crawford. It is less abundant on the Malabar Coast, 

 and, generally, in the very rainy districts, and Quilon is said to be 

 exempt from its society, as well as that of the common striped 

 squirrel (Sciurus palmarum), two of the greatest pests of most 

 other stations. It is not found at Darjeeling, but it occurs on 

 the N. W. Himalayas up to a moderate height. Out of India 

 we have no accurate record of its distribution, but it is said to 

 occur in Afghanistan. 



The Sparrow builds in thatched roofs, under the eaves of houses, 

 and in similar concealed nooks and cavities, making a nest quite 



