184 



as it has not yet been met with in Persia. In that portion of the Kara-Koum desert which is 

 nearest to the Ahal-Teke oasis it is rare, owing probably to the saxaul-wood having been cut 

 down, for the presence of these is essential to the residence of the Sparrow in those parts. It is 

 very common in the saxaul-covered clayey plains of Tedgend, and a little rarer in the sandhills 

 near Merv. I never met with it in the central course of the Murghab and in the vicinity of the 

 Pinde oasis, although it would find there everything suitable to its requirements and tastes." 

 According to Dr. Sharpe (2nd Yark. Miss. p. 40), Col. Biddulph obtained one or two specimens 

 near Kashgar, and in January he found it tolerably plentiful along the road to Maralbashi. 



In Turkestan it appears, judging from the number of specimens obtained by Dr. Severtzoff, 

 to be tolerably common, and examples were sent to the brothers Grum-Grzimailo from Chami, 

 Ssa-tschinsa in the Eastern Tian-shan, and from Ssy-dun and Schaldran in Bei-schan. 



According to Col. Prjevalsky, the geographical distribution of this Sparrow depends much 

 on that of the saxaul, but though the latter is common in Tsaidam, the bird does not occur 

 there. The southern limit of its range appears to be the Kan-su mountains, whereas the Hurha 

 range, in Gobi, forms the northern limit. Eastward it does not range beyond Ordos. Writing 

 on its habits, Mr. Zarudny says (/. c.) " it avoids the saxaul thickets which are far from water, 

 and is especially partial to sandy or clayey localities covered with thinly scattered saxaul-forests 

 in the vicinity of a river or shallow well, where it can bathe or quench its thirst several times 

 during the day, for water is a necessity as much as its food, which in summer consists chiefly of 

 the seeds of the saxaul and other plants, of small beetles, and of many small orthopterous insects. 

 Its flight is similar to that of the other Sparrows, but is swifter, and its call-note, though softer, 

 resembles that of the Indian Sparrow. In the summer it lives in pairs and not in flocks." 



Col. Prjevalsky, who met with it in Alaschan and Ordos, writes respecting its habits as 

 observed by him there (Orn. Misc. p. 295) as follows : — " Unlike its congeners the present species 

 avoids human habitations, and inhabits exclusively the deserts, especially the saxaul-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 note is 

 similar to that of Passer domesticus, only somewhat shriller. It breeds in the saxaul-trees, and 

 mostly in old nests of Kites, and seldom makes its own, which, when it does build for itself, 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 

 Agriaphyllum gobicum and saxaul-twigs, but the interior is constructed of camel's hair, and 

 usually lined with the 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 camel's hair, but always 

 make them cylindrical in shape. Occasionally they breed in ruined huts, or even in the walls 

 of wells. 



" The number of eggs varies from three to five. They are white with a brown shade, and 

 spotted with reddish brown, the latter being more intense on the thick end. In length they 

 measure from 0"-81 to 0"-92, and in breadth from 0"-57 to 0"-63. 



" The young of the first brood are fledged in the first half of June. In the autumn they 

 usually remain in pairs or family parties, but occasionally collect in large flocks." 



