Catalogue of Birds. 287 



120. Coturniculus passerinus (Wils.). Yellow-winged 



Sparrow. 



121. " Henslowi (Aud.). Henslow's Bunting. 



122. Passerella iliaca (Merrem.). Fox-colored Sparrow. 



123. Passer domesticus (Linn.). The House Sparrow. 

 This familiar European species has been successfully intro- 

 duced in New York, and colonies have been established at seve- 

 ral distant points, where they could have been seen during the 

 past winter. After the extreme cold of last January (1866), when 

 the thermometer marked ten degrees below zero, I noticed them 

 in their usual quarters, apparently unharmed. In Jersey City, 

 also, they are quite numerous. I first observed them in the 

 spring of 1865. A friend, conversant with our local native 

 birds, informed me that he had seen a species in the shrubbery 

 around the church on the corner of 5th Avenue and 29th street, 

 with which he was not familiar ; on going to ascertain what 

 they were, to my surprise I found them to be House Sparrows ; 

 they were domiciled in the ivy which grew on the walls of the 

 church, and were quite gentle and fearless, some alighting in 

 the street and dusting themselves quite near to where I stood. 

 I afterwards learned from our associate, Mr. Eugene Schieffelin, 

 that he had been looking after them with much interest ; in 

 fact he is entitled to the credit, in a great measure, for this 

 important acquisition to our city. In 1860, and for three years 

 thereafter, he yearly set free five or six pairs, mostly in the 

 neighborhood of Madison Square ; seven pairs were let out in 

 the Central Park, by the Commissioners, in 1864. 



Mr. Schieffelin told me that in the yard of his father's house, 

 in 26th street near Madison square, quite a number were to be 

 seen at almost any time. This was early in June ; I went there 

 with him and had the opportunity of examining them very 

 satisfactorily. Some were in the trees, others on the ground 

 feeding among the poultry ; I noticed a company of six young 

 birds (no doubt of the same brood) which kept close together 

 on the ground, mixing freely with the chickens, and when 



