96 THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 



distance of the original singer plus that of the Finch, so' that the result was 

 not a little confusing, tho very delightful when explained. 



During courtship^ this Finch will execute an aerial song-dance, consisting 

 of sundry jerks and crazy antics, interspersed with a medley of ecstatic notes ; 

 at the conclusion of wdiich he will make a suggestive di\e at his fiancee, who 

 meanwhile has been poking fun at him. 



For some reason nests have been exceedingly hard to find. JNIanv birds 

 are always pottering about with no apparent concern for nesting time, and 

 Mr. Bowdes hazards that they do not mate until the third year. Apropos of 

 this, one remarks the scarcity of highly plumaged males at all seasons. I 

 have gone six months at a time, where Finches were not uncommon, without 

 seeing a single red bird. In fact, I never found the latter common e.xcept in 

 the vicinity of Tacoma. 



Nests are placed, preferably, near water, in evergreen or deciduous trees, 

 and at heights varying from six to forty feet. They usually occur on a bough 

 at some distance from the trunk of a supporting tree, seldom or never being- 

 found in a crotch. Composed externally of fir twigs, they are lined copiously 

 with green moss, horse-hair, and string, and contain four or fi\'e handsome 

 blue-green eggs, spotted and dashed with violet and black. 



Two broods are probabl}- brought off in a season, the first about the 

 20th of May and the second a month later. .'\ sitting female outdoes a 

 Siskin in her devotion to duty, and not infrequently requires to be lifted 

 from her eggs. The male trusts everything to his wife upon these occasions, 

 but is on hand tO' do' his share of the work when it comes to feeding the babies. 



No. 35. 



ENGLISH SPARROW. 



IxTRonixEn. Passer domesticus (Linn.). 



Synonyms. — HorsE Si'akrow. Domestic Spakkow. Hoodlum. 



Description. — Adult male: Above ashy gray; middle of back and scapulars 

 heavily streaked with black and bay ; tail dusky ; a chestnut patch behind eye 

 spreading on shoulders ; lesser wing-coverts chestnut ; middle coverts bordered 

 with white, forming a conspicuous white bar during flight ; remainder of wing 

 dusky with bay edging ; below ashy gray or dirty white ; a black throat-patch 

 continuous with lores and fore-breast ; bill and feet horn color. Adult female: 

 Brownish rather than gray above ; bay edging lighter ; no chestnut, unmarked 

 below. Length 5.50-6.25 (139.7-158.8): wing 3.00 (76.2); tail 2.20 (55.9); 

 bill .50 (12.7). vSexes of about equal size. 



Recognition Marks. — "Sparrow size," black throat and breast of male; 

 female obscure brownish and gray. 



Nesting. — Nest: a globular mass of grass, weeds and trash, heavily lined 

 with feathers, placed in tree and wath entrance in side; or else heavily lined 



