SPARROWS AND ALLIED SPECIES. 323 



to the cultivated parts ; and almost all In winter draw near 

 to the habitations of man, as in severe weather they obtain 

 the principal part of their food in the farm and stack yards, or 

 in the stubble fields. 



SYNOPSIS OF THE BRITISH GENERA AND SPECIES. 



GENUS I. FRINGILLA. FINCH. 



Bill short, straight, strong, conical, its upper outline slightly 

 convex towards the tip, w^hich is acute ; mandibles nearly 

 equal ; edges of the lower much inflected ; wings rather long, 

 the second and third quills longest, the first a little shorter 

 than the fourth ; tail of moderate length, emarginate. 



1. Fringilla Ccelebs. Chaff Finch. Male with the head 

 and hind-neck greyish-blue, the forehead black, the back red- 

 ish -brown, the rump yellowish-green, the lower parts brown- 

 ish-red. Female with the head and back light greyish-brown, 

 the rump tinged w^th yellowish-green, the breast pale brown- 

 ish-grey. 



2. Fringilla Montifringilla. Mountain or Bramhling Finch. 

 Male with the head and back dee23 black, the feathers margined 

 with yellowish-grey ; the rump wdiite, tinged with yellow ; 

 the sides spotted with black. Female with the head and back 

 pale grepsh-red, the central part of each feather brownish- 

 black ; the rump greyish- white, the breast pale reddish-brown. 



GENUS II. PASSER. SPARROW. 



Bill short, straight, strong, conical ; the tip rather blunt ; 

 lower mandible rather smaller than the upper ; the outlines of 

 both slightly convex, their edges inflected ; wings rather short, 

 third quill longest, but scarcely exceeding the first and third, 

 which are equal ; tail of moderate length, emarginate. 



1. Passer domesticus. House Sparrow. Male with the 

 upper part of the head light bro-vsmish-grey ; sides of the neck 

 greyish- white, throat black ; back and wings chestnut and 



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