PASSER.
Bill short, thick, upper mandible curved; nest in holes, or untidy ball in trees ; eggs white with brown spots.
Passer domesticus domesticus (L.). HOUSE-SPARROW. Fr. Moineau; Ger. Haussperling ; Ital. Passera oltrarnontana ; Swel Hussparf.
d Crown, car coverts, nape, rump, and upper tail coverts ashy grey with broad chestnut stripe over eye meeting on hind neck ; back and scapulars chestnut streaked black, lesser wing coverts tipped white ; cheeks and sides of neck white ; beneath greyish white, chin, throat, and chest black, flanks not streaked. Bill (winter) brown, (summer) black. Legs and feet brown. Wing 72-82, 9 71-77. Tarsus 18-2o. Bill 10-12. 9 brown, darker on back and streaked black and yellowish brown ; no black on throat and chest. Bill brown.
Resident.—All continental Europe and British Isles, from about 68° N. to Mediterranean (in Italy only to N.), N. Morocco, Sardinia, Balearic Isles, Grecian Archipelago, and in W. Asia.
P. domesticus tingitanus Loche. Very like typical form, but grey feathers of head black at base, in spring head appears grey spotted black ; ear coverts less grey and washed buff.
Resident—Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco.
P. domesticus alexandrinus Madarasz. Smaller than "domesticus," sides of head white strongly tinged brownish grey, crown and rump lighter.
Resident.—Egypt, Cairo to Alexandria.
P. domesticus niloticus Nicoll and Bonhote. j Crown, hind neck, and rump slate grey ; back pale chestnut with buff margins ; a post-aural patch chestnut not meeting on nape. Wing 73-76 (H.).
Resident.—Nile Valley, Fayoum to Wadi Haifa.
Passer italiw (Vieiilot). ITALIAN SPARROW.
8 like " domesticus " but back almost entirely chestnut, eye stripe short, white ; crown and nape chestnut ; cheeks and ear coverts whiter ; flanks not streaked. 9 as in 9 "domesticus." Wing d 75-79.
Resident.—Italy south of Alps, Sicily, Malta, Corsica, Crete, Bosnia, France (occasional), S. Switzerland, S. Tyrol.
Passer hispaniolensis hispaniolensis (Temminck). SPANISH SPARROW. Fr. Moineau espagnol ; Ger. Weiden sperling ; Ital. Passera sarda.
8 Crown, nape, and lesser wing coverts chestnut, last with white tips; back black, some feathers tawny or white on outer web ; beneath, throat, foreneck, and breast black, flanks broadly streaked black. After moult chestnut is tipped brown and throat tipped white. ? resembles Q "domesticus" but flanks are streaked. Wing j 74-So. Tarsus 19-2o. Bill 10-12.
Resident.—Canary Islands, N.W. Africa, Spain, Sicily, Italy north to Genoa, Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor. Occurs in winter in S. France and Egypt.
P. hispaniolensis arrigonii Tschusi. Darker, black streaks on back broad. Wing j 73-78 (H.).
Corsica.
P. hispaniolensis maltw Hartert. Like typical form, but flank streaks narrower or even absent. Wing d 76-s1. Resident.—Malta and Sicily.
P. hispaniolensis brutius Fiore. Back as in typical form, breast greyish white, flanks very faintly streaked or not at all. Resident.—S. Italy (Calabria and Tarento).
P. hispaniolensis fluckerigeri Kleinschmidt. Back browner, streaks on flanks wanting or very faint.
Resident.— S. Algeria.
Specimens are occasionally found in Spain with few or no flank streaks. "P. h. malt," "P. h. brutius," and also "P. h. arrigoni " and " fluckerigeri" may prove to be hybrids. In Malta examples with or without flank streaks occur.
Passer montanus montanus (L.). TREE-SPARROW. Fr. Friquet ; Ger. Feldsperling ; Ital. Passera rnattugia ; Swear. Piefink.
Sexes similarly coloured. Resembles "domesticus" but entire crown, nape and hind neck pale chocolate brown, cheeks and sides of neck white with a black patch on ear coverts, lesser and greater wing coverts white tipped. Wing j 65-74, Q 64-63. Tarsus 16-18. Bill 8-ro.
Breeds.—Britain, and Europe from 68.30° N. south to Spain and Sicily, Macedonia, and S. Russia. Partial migrant ; occurs in winter Dalmatia, Albania, Greece, Malta, Sardinia, and Corsica ; N. Africa (doubtful).
P. montanus volgensis Ognew. Upper parts greyer, not so red brown as " montanus" ; crown darker, wings and tail greyer. Wing about 3 mm. shorter.
Breeds.—Volga Delta.
Passer simplex saharm Erlanger. DESERT-SPARROW.
6 Above silvery grey ; lesser wing coverts white, greater and primaries dark with sandy tips, upper tail coverts creamy white, lores and throat black, sides of neck and underparts creamy white. Bill black (summer), yellowish brown (winter). Legs and feet brown. \Ving 77-81. Tarsus 19-2o. 13i11 to (H.). ? more sandy, less grey, lacks black lores and throat.
Resident.—Sandy deserts of N. Africa, Algeria to Nubia. Typical race "P. s. simplex" occurs in S. Nubia east to Berber.