PASSER DOMESTICUS.
I collected large series of Sparrows at all seasons from Damascus, throughout Palestine, and in Egypt.
'Passer domesticus biblicus Hartert.
Adult male in fresh autumn plumage has the back, primaries, and tail paler than in P. d. domesticus, the crown browner, not so bluish. Ear-coverts grey as in P. d. domesticus. Rump similarly coloured to the head, whereas in the typical race the head is greyer than the rump. In spring plumage the adult male more closely resembles the typical race, but the back, head, and rump are paler.
Two birds in the Tring Collection, labelled respectively Syria and Palestine, appear to more closely resemble indicus in the colour of the ear-coverts, which are almost pure white, but their wings—79 and 80 mm.—are nearer biblicus. Birds from Eregli (S.E. Asia Minor) are similarly coloured and tend towards indicus. Birds from Cyprus (five examined) appear to be typical biblicus. Wings of five males 76-81 mm.
Palestine and Syrian birds measure:—
26 ♂. Wing 77, 79-83 mm.
4 ♀. Wing 78-81 mm.
The culmen of biblicus is as in the typical race.
This race occurs in Syria and Palestine, at least from Damascus and Beyrouth south to Beersheba, throughout Palestine and the Jordan Valley to the Sinai Peninsula. Also in Cyprus. Birds from Suez and the Suez Canal are niloticus.
