TREE-SPARROW. 83 



Fringillida and place them among the Weaver-birds, which 

 by many naturalists are regarded as forming a distinct 

 family — Ploceida. The question whether this view be correct 

 needs not discussion here, but even if it be the inclusion of 

 the Sparrows among the Weaver-birds is an extremely 

 doubtful step, and in this work it seems at present advisable 

 to retain our two species in the position they have long 

 occupied, though their place between the genera Fringilla and 

 Coccothranstes is obviously faulty. The Tree-Sparrow is an 

 active, lively bird, in appearance and some of its peculiarities, 

 very similar to the well-known House- Sparrow, for which it 

 may, by the careless, be readily mistaken, though it can 

 always be distinguished by its reddish-brown crown, the 

 black patch on the sides of its neck, and its doubly-barred 

 wings*. Its note also, once recognized, can never fail to 

 ensure its discovery, and there is further this remarkable and 

 important distinction between the two species, namely that 

 in the common or House- Sparrow the old cock differs greatly 

 in plumage from the hen, whereas in the Tree-Sparrow both 

 sexes are very nearly alike. In Britain it is far less 

 numerous as a species than its congener, and though 

 occurring throughout most parts of England, as will presently 

 be stated at greater length, it forms with us comparatively 

 small settlements instead of being generally distributed. 

 No plausible reason can be as yet assigned for its being 

 limited to such stations, but the fact is undoubted. While 

 certainly with us generally preferring trees growing in the 

 open country to woods or the neighbourhood of man, and 

 never in Britain inhabiting towns, it sometimes affects 

 buildings, as appears by a communication from the Messrs. 

 Dimock, of Uppingham, who observed it frequently building 

 in the thatch of a barn, in company with the House-Sparrow, 

 entering it by holes in the outside. This statement is con- 

 firmed by Hoy's experience on the continent, where lie often 

 found the Tree- Sparrow breeding in tiled roofs, as well as in 

 stacks of faggots, and is further corroborated by Mr. Hewit- 



* Unfortunately this last peculiarity lias not been sufficiently shewn by the 

 draughtsman in tin.' woodout at the head of tins article. 



