PASSEE AMMODENDEI. 



(SAXAUL SPARKOW.) 



"Passer ammodendri, Severtz.," Dode, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 481. 

 Passer stoliczJcce, Hume, Stray Feathers, ii. p. 516 (1874). 

 \" Passer timidus, Przewalski," Deditius, J. f. O. 1886, p. 527. 

 Passer severtzowi, Pleske, Bull. Ac. Imp. Sci. St. Petersb. xiii. p. 282. 



Vordbey sacsaulney, Russian. 



Figura unica. 

 Gould, B. of Asia, v. pi. xv. 



6 ad. pileo, nucha, loris et linea per oculum usque ad nucham ducta nigris : pilei et nucha? lateribus 

 rufescentibus : corpore supra sordide cinereo-nigro striato : remigibus nigricantibus, albido marginatis 

 et apicatis : secundariis intimis nigris, albido marginatis : tectricibus alarum minoribus nigris albo 

 apicatis, reliquis sordide cinereis, centraliter nigro notatis et albido marginatis : rectricibus cinereo- 

 nigris, albido marginatis : subtus albo, mento et gula nigris : rostro nigro : pedibus carneo-fuscescen- 

 tibus : iride fulvo-fusea. 



? ad. ubique sordidior, capite nee rufescente et nigro notato, sed pileo cervino-cinereo vix nigro-fusco striato : 

 mento et gula cinereo-albis, hac centraliter nigricanti-cinereo tincta. 



Adult Male in spring (Tedschen, April 1st). Crown, nape, lores, and a line through and behind the eye 

 black, the feathers here and there with faint buff margins ; a broad patch bordering the crown above 

 the eye extended to the sides of the nape clear rufous ; upper parts generally buffy grey, streaked with 

 black ; quills dull blackish, externally margined and tipped with dull white ; the inner secondaries black 

 with pale margins ; lesser wing-coverts black, broadly tipped with white, remaining coverts buffy grey, 

 with black centres to the feathers and margined with dull white ; tail dull blackish grey, with dull 

 white margins to the feathers ; underparts white, with a large black patch covering the chin and throat : 

 bill black; legs fleshy brown; iris chocolate-brown. Total length about 6 inches, culmen 05, 

 wing 3 - 0, tail 2"6, tarsus 0'8. 



Adult Male in autumn (Iany-Darja, October 30th). Differs from the male in spring plumage in having the 

 feathers margined with greyish buff, the black in the plumage being thereby much obscured : bill 

 dusky flesh-yellow, darker at the tip. 



Adult Female (Iany-Darja, October 23rd). Differs from the male in being slightly duller in tone of colour, 

 less streaked with black, and lacking the rufous and black on the head, the crown being buffy grey 

 faintly streaked with blackish brown, and the chin and throat greyish white tinged with blackish grey 

 along the centre of the throat. 



This beautiful and very distinct Sparrow inhabits the saxaul district from Transcaspia and 

 Turkestan to Alaschan and Ordos. Mr. Zarudny says (Bull. Soc. Mosc. iii. p. 801) that " it is 

 evident that the Transcaspian district is the southern limit of the range of the Saxaul Sparrow, 



2c 



