130 PASSE RES. 



the roseate form. In tlic same collection there is only one male of 

 the typical colour from Yezzo, and four of the roseate form. Mr. 

 Jouy obtained five adult males in Tate-yama in -winter, four of which 

 were more or less roseate on the hreast, and in two of them the back 

 was also roseate (Jouy, Proc. United States Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 293). 

 The tMo forms certainly intcrgrade, and the appearance of an example 

 of the typical form from Yczzo throws considerable doubt on the 

 distinctness of their geographical ranges. 



108. PASSER MONTANUS. 

 (TREE-SPARROW.) 



Frinf/illa moidcnia, Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 324 (170G). 



The Tree-Sparrow is easily recognized by its chestnut-brown 

 crown and nape, and by the large black patch in the middle of the 

 white on the side of the head. The female resembles the male, but 

 is slightly duller in colour. 



Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, iii. pi. 178. 



The Tree-Sparrow is the Common Sparrow of the towns and 

 villages of Japan (Blakiston and Pryer, Ibis, 1878, p. 244), and was 

 obtained probably at Nagasaki by the Siebold Expedition (Temminck 

 and Schlcgcl, Fauna Japonica, Avcs, p. 89). There is an example 

 in the Swinhoe collection from Hakodadi (Swinhoe, Ibis, 1877, 

 p. 11.")) ; and there are four in tlie Pryer collection from the neigh- 

 bourhood of Yokohama, and nine from the central group of the 

 Loo-Choo Islands. 



The Tree-Sparrow is found throughout the Pakearctic Region, 

 from the British Islands to Japan. 



It is abundant everywhere near houses or towns in Central Hondo, 

 breeding in the thatched roofs of the native houses (Jouy, Proc. 

 United States Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 297). Eggs in the Pryer collec- 

 tion do not difPcr from those obtained in the British Islands. 



Examples from the Loo-Choo Islands have been described as dis- 

 tinct under the name of Passer suturatns (Stcjnegcr, Proc, United 

 States Nat. Mus. 1885, p. 19), but I am unable to distinguish them 

 from the European si)eeies. 



The example described by Dr. Stcjnegcr appears to have been in 

 immature plumage. Examjjlcs collected by General Prjevalski at 

 Lob Nor and other localities in Central Asia are so pale that they 

 are almost wortliv of beinjj recoijm'zed as a desert form. 



