VOL. vn.] TREE-SPARROW IN IRELAND. 39 



being fed, as the Sparrows joined eagerly in the repast. 

 The first party which I observed this day consisted of 

 a dozen birds. They were with a couple of Rock-Pipits 

 outside a cabin on a manure-heap. Another party and 

 yet another remained perched on the roofs of cabins, 

 each party consisting of some six to nine birds. Three 

 sat on an old chimney on the gable end of a disused 

 cabin whose walls had for the most part remained 

 though the roof was gone. Odd birds stood on the 



[C. J. Patten, Tele-phot. 

 Tree-Sparrows on the Roof of a Cabin on Inishtrahull Island. 



roof-tops of many inhabited cabins. I next proceeded 

 to disturb all the Sparrows that I could from their 

 shelter in thatched roofs, wall-crevices, etc., of the 

 cabins, in order to make a rough census of the number 

 on the island. I estimated that I saw about fifty 

 birds. But even this was not quite all, for on pro- 

 ceeding up westward and inspecting the dwelHng-houses 

 at the fog-station I found a party of six Tree-Sparrows, 

 and also ascertained that a pair were building in an 

 eave of the roof of one of the dwelling-houses here. 

 Indeed I saw for myself a Tree-SparroAV with a long 

 straw in its mouth, disappear under the eave of the 



