On the Occurrence of the Tree Sparrow in Argyllshire. 201 



carefully put together than those of tlie common species, and 

 no long straws, etc., left hanging clown from the bottom, or 

 protruding from the hole which formed the entrance to the 

 nest, nor is so large a quantity of materials used as is generally 

 found in the nest of the common sparrow." It occasionally 

 breeds in holes in trees, especially in England, whence 

 probably the somewhat misleading name of tree span'ow. 

 Professor Newton says, that in the last-mentioned country 

 it is perhaps most frequently found breeding in the rows of 

 pollard willows, which are so common on the banks of many 

 of the rivers and canals there, and where it easily excavates 

 in the rotten wood a receptacle for its nest. He also mentions, 

 that in some countries it occasionally builds in a deserted 

 crow's or magpie's nest, and in Sicily has even been known 

 to rear its young in the foundations of an eagle's nest, which 

 at the same time was tenanted by the owners, a circumstance 

 not uncommon in the case of an allied species — Passer salici- 

 cohis, the Spanish sparrow. A recent writer, Lieutenant- 

 Colonel Swinhoe, in describing his observations on the birds 

 seen by him during the late campaign in Afghanistan, 

 mentions, that although the tree sparrow, which is the 

 commonest species in Kandahar and the country generally, is 

 often found building in the same roof with F. domestictis, 

 it does not associate with it, and never loses an opportunity 

 of attacking it, and, in consequence, the latter takes care to 

 keep out of its way. 



The eggs are similar in colour to those of the house 

 sparrow, but smaller in size, and of a darker shade of grey, 

 although occasionally light ones are to be found in a clutch. 



Unlike the house sparrow it migrates, at all events to 

 some extent, in winter, in which season they almost entii-ely 

 leave Ardnamurchan, and possibly the pair above recorded as 

 having been seen at Loch Aline was on migration when 

 observed. On the east coast of England great numbers 

 assemble in the autumn, probably on migration south. ]\Ir 

 Cordeaux mentions having seen as many as live or six 

 hundred together, and an instance is recorded in the " Zoo- 

 logist" (p. 7312) of thousands having boarded a light-sliip 

 off the Dogger Bank in November 1860. 



