HOUSE AND TREE SPARROWS 97 



sides, throat, and breast; reddish-brown back and wings, with 

 dark-brown streaks; buff-white breast and belly. Length. — 

 Five and a half inches. 



SPARROW, HOUSE (Passer domesticus) 



Local Names. — Brown Sparrow, Common Sparrow, Domestic Spar- 

 row, Spagger, Sprug. 



Haunt. — Found almost everywhere, in both town and country. 



Nesting Period. — March to August, or earlier and later. 



Site of Nest. — Houses and other buildings, trees, hedges, etc. 



Materials Used. — Straw, hay, feathers, roots, grass, wool, etc. A 

 large, untidy nest. 



Eggs. — Five or Six. Dirty white, with a greenish or bluish tinge, 

 blotched, spotted, speckled, and dashed, or either, with dark 

 brown, greyish-brown, etc. Most variable as to markings. 



Food. — Insects, seeds, grain, and scraps. 



Voice. — The well-known " chirp," and other calls and cries. I have 

 twice heard this bird utter a pleasant song. 



Chief Features. — Its remarkable abundance and wide distribution. 

 To be distinguished from the Tree Sparrow by ash-coloured 

 head and single white bar on the wings. 



Plumage. — Black lores; over each eye a narrow white streak; ash- 

 grey crown, nape, and lower part of back; chestnut near ear- 

 coverts; chestnut-brown back, with black streaks; brown 

 wings, with bars of white on middle coverts; dull-brown tail; 

 black throat and breast, white cheeks and neck sides; dull- 

 white belly. The female has the black on throat lacking, and 

 the upper parts striated dusky-brown. Length. — Six inches. 



SPARROW, TREE (Passer montanus) 



Local Names. — French Sparrow, Mountain Sparrow. 



Haunt. — Hedgerows, trees, woods, copses, etc. 



Nesting Period. — April onwards. 



Site of Nest. — Holes in old trees, buildings, crevices of rocks, etc. 



Materials Used. — Similar to the House Sparrow. 



Eggs. — Four or Five. Dirty white or light grey, marked with 



dark greyish or umber-brown. 

 Food. — Insects, weed seeds, etc. 

 Voice. — The notes are sharper, shriller, and more quickly uttered 



than those of the House Sparrow. 

 Chief Features. — A shyer bird than the last named. To be identified 



by chestnut head, black and white patches on sides, and double 



white bar on wings. 



