TEEE- SPARROW. HOUSE-SPARROW. 209 



alighted on the ship, covering the deck, &c. The birds 

 were exhausted, and soon died, and some half-dozen 

 were kept from mere curiosity to show to friends. 

 These were brought for my inspection, a day or two 

 since, by a person who begged them of the captain to 

 show me. The six specimens were all Passer montanus, 

 the tree sparrow; the mountain sparrow of Bewick." 

 In confinement the tree-sparrows are certainly the 

 shyest and most untameable of any birds I have ever 

 introduced into my aviary, and even time seems to work 

 but little change in their wild nature, as on the approach 

 of any person, whether a stranger or not, they dash 

 about the cage in a reckless manner, and when ex- 

 hausted and panting with fright, will creep into any 

 corner, or dark spot, to escape notice. The beak in 

 this species, as in the common sparrow, becomes darker 

 in summer, being of a blueish lead-colour during the 

 nesting season, and according to my own observations, 

 whether frightened or not, these birds have, at times, 

 a singular habit of keeping their mouths open. I 

 can discover no external difference in the sexes, ex- 

 cepting that the white and bla.ck tints, on the throat 

 and sides of the head, are somewhat less vivid in the 

 female. 



PASSER DOMESTICUS (Lnmams). 

 HOUSE-SPAEEOW. 



Whilst no one rejoices more than myself that the 

 wholesale and indiscriminate slaughter of our graiii- 

 eatiiig birds, by means of poisoned wheat, has been at 

 length prohibited by law, I cannot, even in defence 

 of my feathered favourites, ignore the fact, that the 

 almost total extermination of the Eaptorial tribes, 



