EUROPEAN TREE SPARROW 25 



was seen on my premises, one mile south of the arsenal, which latter point they 

 had then occupied in large numbers. Also during the winter of 1877-'78 all of 

 my twelve boxes set up for Sparrows were in undisputed possession of the Tree 

 Sparrows. 



On March 28, 1878, the first House Sparrow appeared on the scene, and trouble 

 began. One pair of Tree Sparrows was dislodged and a pair of House Sparrows 

 began nest-building. That summer no increase in House Sparrows took place in 

 my colony, and the Tree Sparrows reared their broods in peace, but when the 

 first cold October nights forced the Sparrows to change their roost from the now 

 nearly leafless trees to some warm shelter, a whole flock of House Sparrows took 

 possession of the boxes and the Tree Sparrows had to leave. Thereafter the 

 weaker Tree Sparrow had little chance to gain a suitable nesting site around its 

 old home. Only one pair continued breeding for a few years longer, in a box 

 which, besides hanging lower than the rest, had an entrance which the bigger 

 House Sparrow found uncomfortably small. It appeared to me that the Tree 

 Sparrow would be much more of a house-sparrow if his stronger cousin did not 

 force him to be a tree sparrow by robbing him of every suitable nesting and roost- 

 ing place about human habitations. 



With the increase of the House Sparrow the Tree Sparrow had to yield the city 

 almost entirely to him and betake himself to the country, spreading in all direc- 

 tions and resorting to tree-holes and out-of-the-way places, while the other took 

 the cities and towns. 



Nesting. — The European tree sparrows in Widmann's coloDy evi- 

 dently preferred to nest in the birdboxes until they were driven out 

 by the English house sparrows and were forced to nest in holes in 

 trees in the suburbs, as they do in Europe. Witherby (1919) says 

 of its breeding ha,bits: "More retiring than House-Sparrow but 

 locally common in suburbs of some large towns, breeding in holes of 

 ivy-covered trees, pollarded willows, haystacks, thatched roofs, 

 quarries, and old nests of larger birds; also in Woodpecker's holes and 

 Sand-Martin's burrows." The nest is similar to that of the house spar- 

 row, "though smaller, but never built in open among branches; often 

 shows little trace of roof." The nesting materials are also similar, 

 mainly grass, hay, and feathers, with a mixture of various bits of 

 rubbish and trash. 



Eggs. — Witherby (1919) describes the eggs as "4-6, rarely 7 or 

 8, much smaller than House-Sparrow's, darker, with finer stippling, 

 browner in general tint, and more glossy. One light egg also com- 

 monly found in each clutch. Average of 103 eggs, 19.5 x 14 mm." 



J. P. Norris (1890) describes and gives the measurements of five sets 

 of from 3 to 6 eggs collected for him by Widmann, between June 10 

 and July 2, near Saint Louis, some of which were colored much like 

 the eggs of the long-billed marsh wren. 



Young. — Incubation is shared by both sexes and lasts for 13 or 14 

 days. 



In some notes sent to Bendire, Widmann says: "They begin to laj^ 

 eggs soon after the first of April (6 eggs April 10) and the young leave 



