3 
clearer in colour than those from Northern Europe, agreeing closely with Indian examples. I 
cannot think that there are good grounds for separating the bird found in Asia from the European 
species; and thus the range extends eastward in Asia to Siam. 
Throughout Great Britain it is resident and common, even on the Shetland and Orkney 
Islands; and in Ireland it is as common as in England or Scotland. It does not appear to have 
been met with in the Feroes; but in Scandinavia it is very common and resident. Mr. Collett 
says that it is common in Norway up to Lofoten, and is met with now and again in East 
Finmark ; but it more properly belongs to the eastern portion of the interior, and is entirely 
wanting in some portions of Christiansand and Bergen stifts. On the fell-sides it is found near 
dwellings up into the birch-region, as for instance on the Dovre. Pastor Sommerfelt says that 
now and again a straggler is seen on the Varanger fiord; but as yet it has not made good its 
footing either on Vard6 or Vatso. In Sweden, as in Norway, it is very generally distributed 
and common; and I found it numerous near human habitations in every part of Finland 
I visited’ In Russia it is very generally distributed, ranging far north in the Archangel 
Government; and throughout Europe generally it is probably the most widely distributed and 
common species, being everywhere resident, except where in some countries it is partially 
replaced by its allies Passer hispaniolensis and P. italie. In Spain, for instance, where the 
present species is common in the towns or near houses, its place is taken in the fields and groves 
by P. hispaniolensis; and in Italy it is in most parts replaced by P. italiw. It inhabits the 
Riviera as far as Nice, and straggles through the valleys of the Alps to the Italian side; but 
there its place is taken by P. italie; and it does not occur beyond the northern provinces, nor 
does it occur in Sicily or Sardinia, and it is not recorded from Malta. Lord Lilford records it 
as resident, but not very abundant, in Corfu and Epirus; and it is found commonly in Greece, 
Turkey, Southern Russia, and Asia Minor wherever there are human habitations. It is also 
found in Northern Africa, where, as elsewhere, it is resident. Von Heuglin states (Orn. N.O.- 
Afr. i. p. 629) that it is a resident in Egypt, Nubia, in some of the towns to the north of the 
Red Sea, on the Blue Nile, and in Kordofan, but he did not observe it in Eastern Abyssinia 
or on the White Nile. In North-west Africa it is stated by Loche to be found in Algeria near 
habitations, but it is not generally distributed. Mr. Taczanowski found it common in the 
province of Constantine; and Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., says (Ibis, 1871, p. 293) that he “found 
it abundant in the Mzab, at Laghouat, and also in the Tell.” Colonel Irby also says that it is 
common on the African side of the Straits of Gibraltar. Vernon Harcourt records it from 
Madeira; but it does not seem to have been met with in the Canaries. In Asia the Sparrow has 
also an extensive range; for I cannot look on the Asiatic bird as any thing but a slightly brighter- 
coloured form of our European bird, without any just claim to specific rank. In size the Indian 
form runs somewhat smaller; but there is a considerable individual difference between specimens 
in the series both from Europe and Asia. Thus European examples vary in the length of the 
wing from 2°95 to 3:12; one from Tangier, which in coloration closely agrees with Indian 
examples, has the wing 3°1 inches long; the wing of one from Baluchistan measures 3:05; wings 
of examples from India vary from 2:7 to 3:0; and that of one from Ceylon measures 2°95. 
De Filippi speaks of it as being common throughout the districts visited by him; and 
Mr. Blanford informs me that both the eastern and western forms of our Sparrow occur in 
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