44 THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 



applicable, "there is an abundance of Sparrows; but 

 in some of the vales about Keswick, where there is 

 little or no grain produced, and few inhabitants, it 

 is an extremely scarce bird." When the grain is 

 ripe, a partial migration occurs from housetop to 

 cornfield. White, pied, black, and buff varieties 

 have come under our notice in Cumberland. 



P. Montanus. Tree Sparrow. 



The Tree Sparrow is a very scarce resident, 

 a few pairs nesting annually in certain isolated 

 localities. 



We first ascertamed the presence of the Tree 

 Sparrow in Cumberland in 1871, when we observed 

 a pair haunting the yard at Cairn Head, a lonely 

 house situated at the foot of King Harry. We 

 watched the birds passing in and out of a hole in 

 the barn wall, from which we subsequently extracted 

 the nest with three eggs. 



During autumn, the Tree Sparrow wanders : 

 stragglers may be observed at a distance from their 

 breeding grounds ; nevertheless it is at all times an 

 exeedingly scarce bird in Cumberland. 



Genus FEINGILLA. 



F. Ccelehs. Chaffinch. 



The Chaffinch is an abundant resident, more 

 numerous in certain localities than even the House 

 Sparrow. Despite the fierce combats which fre- 

 quently ensue between rival males in the breeding 

 season, the Chaffinch is chiefly gregarious during 



