BRITAIN'S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 255 



say nothing. Of its nesting habits we make a brief 

 summary. The nest is a large, untidy, cup-shaped structure 

 of straw or dry-grass and various odds and ends, with 

 a Hning of feathers. It is generally placed somewhere 

 about a building — under the eaves, in the spouts of roofs, 

 or in other more or less covered-in situations. Crevices 

 in walls, &c., Sand-Martins' holes, and the like, are also 

 used. Sometimes the nest is in a bush or tree, and 

 it is then a domed structure with a hole in one side. 

 The five or six rather longish white eggs, with their 

 brownish markings, vary greatly in size, shape, and 

 colour. As many as three broods may be reared in 

 a season. 



THE TREE-SPARROW 



(Passer montanus). 



A quite mistaken, but very prevalent notion exists 

 that any Span'ow nesting in a tree is a Tree-Sparrow. 

 From what has already been said it will be seen that 

 this is not the case, and although the Tree - Sparrow 

 typically builds a domed nest in a tree, it also nests on 

 houses, &c., at times. The nesting -site is no means 

 of identification. A conspicuous reddish - brown cheek- 

 patch, di\aded by white lines from the black eye-streak 

 and throat, serves as a distinguishing mark. The adult 

 hen resembles her mate in plumage, but immature birds 

 are less easy to identify. The eggs are smaller and more 

 glossy on an average. The Tree-Sparrow is really very 

 local, but is found here and there over much of Great 

 Britain, and has recently spread to some of the outer 

 isles of Scotland. On the eastern side of that country 



