HOUSE SPARROW. 551 



colour ; from the base of the upper mandible to the eye 

 a black streak ; the irides hazel ; top of the head bluish 

 grey ; over the ear-coverts, nape of the neck, back, and 

 wings, rich rufous brown, the centre of each feather nearly 

 black ; some of the smaller wing-coverts tipped with 

 white ; the greater wing-coverts and tertials broadly edged 

 with rufous brown ; the primaries with narrow outer edges 

 of brown ; upper tail-coverts uniform pale brown ; tail- 

 feathers dark brown, edged with lighter brown ; tail nearly 

 square ; the chin and throat black ; cheeks and sides of 

 the neck greyish white ; breast dull greyish brown spotted 

 with black ; belly and under tail-coverts greyish white ; 

 legs, toes, and claws, brown. 



The whole length is rather more than six inches. From 

 the carpal joint to the end of the wing, three inches: the 

 first three quill -feathers nearly equal in length, but the se- 

 cond rather the longest ; the fourth feather a little shorter 

 than the third ; the fifth more than one-eighth of an inch 

 shorter than the fourth. 



The female has the beak brown ; the head and neck of 

 a uniform brown colour ; the edges of the feathers on the 

 back and wings are buff colour ; chin, throat, breast, and 

 all the under surface of the body, pale wood-brown, rather 

 darker in colour on the sides and flanks. ' 



Black, white, and buff-coloured varieties of this species 

 are not uncommon. 



