26 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 211 



the nest about May 18. A second brood is commenced soon after- 

 ward (7 eggs, June 6) and it takes nearly all July to raise them. I do 

 not think that they make a third brood, but they succeed in raising 4 

 or 5 young of each brood. The young ones are sweet little creatures, 

 showing the same pattern of coloration as the old ones from the 

 beginning. They gather into flocks as soon as they can fly well and 

 retire to out of the way places, where they enjoy themselves in hedges, 

 brush-heaps, and similar retreats, spending hours in frolicking and 

 twittering. Other members of the sparrow family often associate 

 with them and seem to be perfectly satisfied with their behavior." 



Plumages. — The young European tree sparrow is hatched naked, 

 with no natal down appearing. Witherby (1919) describes the juvenal 

 plumage as much resembling that of the adult, "but crown mostly 

 smoky-brown, feathers with small blackish tips, sides of crown and 

 back of neck dull chestnut-brown; mantle less rufous; throat, lores, 

 and ear-coverts greyish-black; greater wing-coverts and outer webs 

 of wing-feathers brown, not chestnut-brown; tips of greater and 

 median coverts buff; lesser coverts browner, not so chestnut." The 

 sexes are practically alike in this plumage and nearly alike in subse- 

 quent plumages. 



A complete postjuvenal molt occurs in late summer and early fall to 

 produce a first winter plumage indistinguishable from that of the 

 adult, the crown becoming uniform magenta-chocolate and the black- 

 and-white areas on the head and throat becoming clearer. The 

 nuptial plumage is acquired by wear, producing little change except 

 brighter colors. Adults have a complete postnuptial molt between 

 August and October. 



Food. — These sparrows sometimes visit the grain fields and eat 

 some wheat, oats, and corn, but probably not enough to do any great 

 amount of damage. A large part of their food consists of weed seeds 

 and various insects, but no thorough study of their food seems to have 

 been made, at least not in North America. 



Behavior. — This tree sparrow is evidently a very different bird 

 from its pugnacious and aggressive relative, the house sparrow. 

 Widmann says in his notes: "The St. Louis tree sparrow is a gentle, 

 sociable bird, seldom seen quarreling among themselves or with other 

 buds. They like to live in large flocks of 50 to 100 birds. Some tree 

 sparrows remain paired, or pair, during the winter, build warm nests 

 and spend much time in each other's company, away from the flock, 

 and in anticipation of the joys of approaching spring. When sitting 

 together in a tree it is one of their peculiarities to sit so close as to 

 touch each other's side. This affords a very pleasing picture of peace 

 and good companionship, showing how much they are attached to 

 each other." 



