FRINGILLIN/E. 



179 



THE HOUSE-SPARROW. 

 Passer domesticus (LiniiKus). 



The House-Sparrow is generally distributed throughout Great 

 Britain and Ireland wherever human habitations are to be found, 

 except near some of the high moorland farm-houses and a few of 

 the most elevated villages. In proportion as land is brought under 

 cultivation, the Sparrow makes its appearance and rapidly increases, 

 so that it is now established in the Inner Hebrides, the Orkneys, 

 the Shetlands, and other places where it was formerly unknown. 



As yet the House-Sparrow does not appear to have reached the 

 Faeroes, but in Scandinavia it occurs, in suitable localities, up to and 

 a little beyond the Arctic circle ; while eastward it can be traced 

 across Russia, and along the inhabited portions of Siberia to 

 Daiiria ; but not to Japan or China. A smaller and paler race 

 (known as P. indicus, but not considered by the best authorities as 

 entitled to specific distinction) inhabits Cochin, Siam, Burma and the 

 Indian region, as far west as Southern Persia ; whence gradations 

 lead back to the typical bird, which is found almost all over Europe 

 where grain will grow. In Italy, and on the island of Corsica, the 

 representative species is P. italice, the male of which has the crown 

 chestnut instead of grey ; but although this species has been found 

 for a considerable distance up the Brenner Pass, it has not yet 

 infringed upon the territory of our bird, which, on the northern 



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