174 TREE-SPARROW. 



mens from Valencia and Malaga in Spain, but it has not yet 

 been obtained in Portugal. It is rather common in the south of 

 France, and it breeds in many towns, and even in the city of Paris, 

 as may be seen by inspecting the thatched roofs in the Jardin des 

 Plantes. In Algeria it is rare, but it is said to visit Egypt and Arabia. 

 It is found throughout the greater part of Asia, south of about 58° 

 N. lat., down to the Philippines and the Malay Peninsula ; and in 

 Java, where it was introduced less than a century ago, it has already 

 varied so much from the type as to be named var. inalaccensis by 

 M. Dubois. Imported specimens have been obtained in North 

 America. 



The nest is often placed at some distance from habitations, in 

 the soft rotten wood of pollard-willows and other trees : but in many 

 districts it is built in the outer side of the thatch of barns and out- 

 houses, and beneath the tiles of roofs, as well as under the coping of 

 old walls and in sea-cliffs ; in fact almost any hole will serve. The 

 materials employed are mostly dry grass and feathers ; the eggs, 

 4-6, smaller and more glossy than those of the House-Sparrow, are 

 greyish-white, generally freckled all over with rich hair-brown : aver- 

 age measurements 78 by "54 in. Two, and even three broods 

 are reared in the season ; the first being hatched about the 

 middle of April. The young are fed on caterpillars and other 

 insects, soft vegetables «Scc., but later,, both they and their parents 

 live principally upon small seeds ; while in winter both young and 

 old frequent rick-yards, highroads and even streets of towns, for the 

 horse-droppings. The male has a slight, though somewhat pleasant 

 song, but the ordinary call-note is a shrill chirp. In captivity this 

 species has bred with the House-Sparrow. 



Unlike the preceding species, the sexes are alike in plumage. The 

 adult has the lores and a streak under each eye black ; crown and 

 nape warm reddish-brown ; cheeks and ear-coverts white, with a tri- 

 angular black patch ; mantle, wings and tail much as in the male 

 House-Sparrow, but both upper and lower wing-coverts tipped with 

 white, forming two distinct bands ; chin and throat to upper breast 

 black ; under parts greyish-white, brownish on the flanks ; bill black ; 

 legs and feet pale brown. Length 5-6 in. ; wing 275 in. In the 

 young bird the plumage is duller, and the bands on the wings are 

 tinged with buff. As shown by the above measurements it is a 

 decidedly smaller species than the House-Sparrow. 



