306 § ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1949 
the rest of the nest structure. The birds are multiple-brooded; both 
sexes take part in nest building and in caring for the young. 
Although the nests are not such as would, in and of themselves, 
suggest that their makers were overly involved in building activities, 
there is evidence that in a closely related species, the Cape sparrow 
of South Africa, Passer melanurus, the birds use the nests throughout 
the year as sleeping places “ . . . especially in winter, when nests with 
more warm material are often specially built for the purpose” (Roberts, 
1940, p. 334). In other words, in this species we find some indication 
of nest-building activity outside of the breeding season. Whether 
this is true for other forms of the genus is not known. 
To return to the house sparrow, the reproductive behavior cycle, 
as reported by Jourdain and Tucker (1938, pp. 157-158), is quite 
peculiar and is still in need of further study before it can be properly 
interpreted. The— 
. . . prominent feature of breeding-season is noisy display, in which sometimes 
one, but commonly several males hop with loud chirpings, round female with 
elevated bill and tail and drooping wings, but merely elicit pecks from irritated 
hen . . . Whole performance commonly ends with sudden dispersal of participants 
and appears unconnected with coition or even pairing. Gengler relates latter to 
rough-and-tumble scrimmages between several males without display, female 
commonly becoming involved as well, though selection of mates as result of these 
tussles seems not very clearly demonstrated. Coition is normally solicited by 
female with drooping wings and twittering note, without display by male, and 
may be repeated as many as a dozen or fifteen times in succession. Same observer 
states that both mated and unmated birds of both sexes are involved in displays, 
but that mated males display only to other females, never their own. He inter- 
prets display as relict of former genuine courtship, now functionless except as 
outlet for persistent display instinct . . . exceptionally coition may be preceded 
by typical display of male without usual solicitation of female. 
There is evidence, as well, that the species has a polyandrous or promis- 
cuous tendency, and Thompson (quoted by Jourdain and Tucker) 
considers the noisy displays are explained partly by this tendency, 
and partly by the males coming into breeding condition before the 
females. 
Other members of the subfamily, such as the yellow-throated spar- 
rows of the genus Petronia, the rock sparrows of the genus Gymnoris, 
and the gray-headed sparrow, Passer griseus, appear to nest chiefly 
if not wholly in holes in trees, in old woodpecker or barbet holes, or 
even in suitable natural holes of not too large a size. They generally 
line these nesting holes with fibers and feathers. The gray-headed 
sparrow has adapted itself to human habitations and frequently 
nests under the eaves of buildings. The chestnut sparrow, Sorella 
eminibey, not infrequently makes use of old nests of other weaverbirds 
although it does at other times build for itself. 
The absence of adequate data on the members of this group, other 
than the house sparrow, makes it impossible to generalize on any broad 
