820 Rural School Leaflet. 



4. Compare the English Sparrow with the chipping sparrow as to 

 size and color. 



5. Compare it with the song sparrow as to size and color. 



6. Compare the size of the English Sparrow with the robin; the blue 

 bird; the gold finch or canary. 



Facts for the teacher. — It is amazing how few persons can distinguish 

 the sexes of the English Sparrow, although the two may be seen in 

 every flock. In the male sparrow the top of the head is gray, with a 

 patch of reddish brown on either side; the back is brown, streaked 

 with black; the tail is brown; the wings are brown with two white bars 

 and with a patch or stripe of red-brown ; the sides of the throat are white ; 

 the middle of the throat and upper breast are black; the lower breast 

 and underparts are grayish white. In the female sparrow the head 

 is grayish brown ; the back is brown, streaked with black and dirty yellow; 

 the throat, breast, and under parts are grayish white and the bird has 

 rather a faded appearance. 



Although this sparrow is common, its coloring varies in vividness 

 so much at different times of the year that I have known experienced 

 bird observers to be misled by its appearance, especially by that of 

 the female, and to think for some moments that she belonged to another 

 species. 



The chipping sparrow is much more slender and about an inch shorter 

 than the English Sparrow, and has the bright red-brown for a crown 

 instead of for wing ornamentation. The song sparrow is only slightly 

 smaller than the English Sparrow, but its long tail gives it a much more 

 slender appearance. The song sparrow has no bars on its wings and 

 has a spotted breast with a larger dark spot at the middle, very dif- 

 ferent from the cravat of the English Sparrow. The tail of the English 

 Sparrow is short and hot notched at the end, and these peculiarities 

 alone will distinguish it from the song sparrow and the chipping sparrow. 



The size of the English Sparrow is taken usually as one of the standards 

 in noting the size of wild birds, and the pupils should be trained to tell 

 its size accurately. This may be accomplished by comparing it with 

 all other birds common to the region. The English Sparrow measures 

 6.33 inches in length; the chipping sparrow, 5.37; the song sparrow. 

 6.30; the robin, 10.00; the blue bird, 7.01; the gold finch, 5.10. 



HABITS OF THE ENGLISH SPARROW 



Purpose. — To develop in the pupils the power of observing carefully 

 all the habits of birds and to give them a thorough knowledge of the 

 habits of the English Sparrow. 



