THE TREE- SPARROW. 105 



First winter and summer. — Like adults. The juvenile-plumage 

 is completely (including wings and tail) moulted in Aug. -Oct. 



Measurements and structure. — (^ wing 65-73 mm., tail 51-54, 

 tarsus 16-18, bill from skull 10-11.5 (12 measured). $ wing as 

 male. Wing-formula and structure as in House-Sparrow. 



Soft parts. — Bill black (summer), blackish-bro^^■n (winter and 

 juv.) ; legs and feet pale bro^\-n ; iris dark broMH. 



Characters and allied forms. — P. m. dilutus (east Persia, 

 Turkestan) is paler ; other forms in eastern and south-eastern 

 Asia differ in size of bill. Differs from House-Si^arrow in sexes 

 being alike, smaller size, magenta-chocolate crown and nape, black 

 spot on ear-coverts, whiter sides of neck, whitish tips of greater 

 coverts, smaller and whiter tips of median coverts, more yellow- 

 ish axillaries, black of throat without white tips in \\'inter and 

 not so extended on breast. 



Field -characters. — ^Though often feeding in Muiter in farmj^ards 

 with other Finches, is usually of retiring nature. Both sexes are 

 alike and differ from male House-Sparrow in smaller size, trimmer 

 build, black patch on ear-coverts, and chocolate-coloured, not 

 grey, cro\Mi. Double Mhite ^ving-bar is another, though less obvious, 

 distinction. Xotes bear general resemblance to House-Sparrow's, 

 but are perhaps shriller, and " chee-ip, chup " is distinctive. 

 Birds flying across open fields — often singly — may be detected by 

 their sharp " teck, teck." 



Breeding-habits. — More retning than House-Sparrow but locally 

 common in suburbs of some large to\Mis, breeding in holes of 

 ivy-covered trees, pollarded willows, haystacks, thatched roofs, 

 quarries, and old nests of larger birds ; also in Woodpecker's holes 

 and Sand-Martin's burrows. Nest. — Very similar to House- 

 Sparrow's, though smaller, but never built in open among branches ; 

 often shows little trace of roof. Materials similar. Eggs. — 4-6, 

 rarely 7 or 8, much smaller than House- Sparrow's, darker, with 

 finer stippling, browner in general tint, and more glossy. One 

 light egg also commonly fornid in each clutch. Average of 103 

 eggs, 19.5 X 14 mm. Breeding-season. — Apparently variable, 

 many not laying till late ^lay or even in June in north Scotland, 

 but some said to breed April. At least two broods. Incubation. — 

 Lasts 13-14 daj^s : shared by both sexes (Xaumann). 



Food. — Seeds of Meeds, corn, as well as insects of various kinds. 



Distribution. — England and Wales. — Resident. Widely spread 

 but local, especially in extreme south-west (Avhere it appears not 

 to nest), south and west Wales and Lanes., Westmorland and 

 Cumberland. Has nested Isle of Man. Scotland. — Mostly on east 

 side, very local and rare west side. Breeds in some 0. Hebrides, 



