PASSER. 401 



head white, more or less tinged with buff; back and scapulars plain brown ; rump 

 and upper tail-coverts white ; wings and tail chiefly black ; greater portion of 

 greater coverts, basal portion of lower secondaries, and basal half or more of 

 exposed portion of outer webs of primaries, pure gamboge-yellow ; secondaries, 

 jirimaries, and middle tail-feathers tipped with white, the inner webs of outer tail- 

 feathers partly white ; sides of breast, sides, and flanks plain cinnamon-brown ; 

 rest of lower parts dull white. Young : " Head, neck, back, and scapulars dull 

 light wood-brown ; wings as in the adult female, but the primaries are slightly and 

 the secondaries broadly tipped with brownish buff; tail less marked with white, 

 and tipped with buffy brown; chin, throat, and under parts dirty white, the throat 

 and the breast washed with pale brown, the latter very indistinctly spotted with 

 sooty brown." (Dresser.) Length 4.75-5.50, wing 2.90-3.15, tail 2.00-2.10, ex- 

 posed culmen .-IS-.SS. Nest a very neat, compact, cup-shaped structure, composed 

 of fine grasses, mosses, etc., mixed and lined with plant-down, situated in bushes or 

 small deciduous trees (often fiuit trees). Eggs 4-6, .70 X ••19, bluish or greenish 

 white, or light greenish blue, marked with reddish brown round larger end. Hab. 

 Europe and western Asia ; introduced into and naturalized in portions of eastern 

 United States (breeding in Central Park, Xew York City, vicinity of Cambridge, 



ilass., etc.). 



C. carduelis (Lixx.). Goldfinch.' 



Genus PASSER Brisson.' (Page 382, pi. CVII., fig. 2.) 



Species. 



Common Characters. — Above brownish, the back streaked with black ; wing 

 with two white bands; lower parts dull grayish white or pale grayish; adult 

 males with chin, throat, and lores black, and lesser wing-coverts chestnut. 



a". Larger (wing 2.85-3.00) ; adult viale with black of throat continued over chest, 

 where forming a broad patch ; ear-coverts entirely dull grayish ; top of head 

 grayish, with a large patch of bi'ight chestnut on each side, from eye back to 

 sides of nape ; length about 5.50-6.25, wing about 2.85-3.00, tail 2.35-2.50. 

 Nest a bulkj- structure of dried grasses, etc., lined with feathers, placed in 

 various odd nooks about houses, holes in trees, on branches of trees, etc. 

 Eggs 4-7, .86 X -62, dull whitish, thickly speckled and dashed with dark 

 brown and purplish gray. Hab. Europe, etc. ; unfortunatelj- introduced 

 into the United States, where it now occurs universally throughout in- 

 habited districts. 



P. domesticus (Lixx.). European House Sparrow.' 



a'. Smaller (wing less than 2.85); adult male with black of throat not continued 

 over chest ; ear-coverts with a large black spot ; top of head entirely liver- 



> Fringllla earduelh Ll55., S. X. ed. 10, i. 1758, 180. Carduelit cardutlu ScH.CFF., Om. Mas. 1789, 23. 

 » Patter Briss., Om. iii. 1760, 71. Type, Fringilla dometliea Lixs. 



> Frin<jitla dometliea LiKS., S. N. ed. 10, i. 1758, 183. Patter dvmetlicut Scn.crF., Orn. Mus. 1783, 24. 



51 



