PASSER. 51 



Genus PASSER, Brisson, On. iii. p. 71 (1760). 



Passer = a Sparrow, in classical Latin. The original form was probably ~> / 

 *sparg-ter (as sparsus *spargtus ; rs then becomes ss, cf . russum for rursum}, 

 from the root of airopyiXos some bird in. Aristophanes (Av. 300), and of 

 = I swell, meaning " the wanton bird "; akin to our " Sparrow." 



Passer domesticus. HOUSE-SPARROW. />K^r 



Fringilla domes tica, Linnaus, S. N. i. p. 323 (1766). - 



Fringilla domestica, Naum. iv. p. 453. 



Passer domesticus, Macg. i. p. 340; Hewitson, p. 209; Gray, 

 p. 100 ; Yarr. ed. 2, i. p. 521 ; id. ed. 3, i. p. 546 ; Newton, 

 ii. p. 89; Gould, iii. pi. 32; Hurting, p. 28; Dresser, iii. 

 p. 587. 



House Sparrow, Yarr. ed. 1, i. p. 474. 



Domesticus = of or belonging to a house, domus. 



Universally resident in Great Britain, save in a few isolated 

 and desolate spots. Common throughout the Palaearctic 

 Region. It has been introduced in North America and in 

 most of our colonies. 



Passer montanus. TREE-SPARROW. 



Fringilla m o n t a n a, Linn&us, S. N. i. p. 324 (1766) . 



Fringilla montana, Naum. iv. p. 480. 



Passer montanus, Macg. i. p. 351; Hewitson, p. 207; Gray, 

 p. 100 ; Yarr. ed. 2, i. p. 516 ; id. ed. 3, i. p. 541 ; Newton, 

 ii. p. 82; Gould, iii. pi. 33; Harting, p. 28; Dresser, iii. 

 p. 597. 



Tree Sparrow, Yarr. ed. 1, i. p. 469. 



Montanus = of or belonging to mountains, monies. 

 Sporadically distributed over most of England, except in the 

 extreme west and south ; not known to breed in Wales or 

 the west of Scotland ; it is said to be resident near Dublin, 

 but is unknown elsewhere in Ireland. It occurs throughout 

 the Palsearctic Region, and in the Indian Region as far south 

 as Java. 



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