OF SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA. 289 



Britain. For good or for ill its productive powers are pro- 

 verbial, and as the rural industries develop in the Common- 

 wealth, so will their avian follower, the Sparrow. 



That the House Sparrow is of value in the towns and cities 

 as a scavenger there is no doubt, while young Sparrows, as 

 indicated in the chart, are unconsciously hungry for the good 

 of their highest fellow, man. 



THE TREE SPARROW, 



Passer moutaiiiis, Ulacg. 



This little bird is rarely seen in the town, preferring to avoid 

 it and keep within the open country. Its distribution is also 

 extensive. I met with it in the rice-fields of Japan. In 

 many parts of Europe it is more abundant than the House 

 Sparrow. It differs in plumage by having the head a uniform 

 chocolate-brown and the sides of the neck white. Unlike the 

 House Sparrow, there is scarcely any difference between the 

 plumage of the Tree Sparrow in summer and winter. The 

 summer plumage is not acquired by any shedding of the pale 

 tips to the feathers. Except by being a little duller, the young 

 resemble the parents. Their disposition is a cheerful one 

 under nearly all circumstances. Amongst birds they are 

 philosophers. In nest-building there is a stronger tendency 

 to be thorough than is shown by the House Sparrow. 



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