THE HOUSE SPARROW 



for ever from such places. Bird-life then would be in com- 

 parative peace, and the number of species frequenting 

 these places considerably increased. During summer 

 the London Sparrow does an incalculable amount of good 

 in ridding vegetation of injurious insects, especially 

 aphides, and upon these its young are chiefly reared. The 

 House Sparrow, as previously stated, breeds at least during 

 nine months of the year. Its nest is made almost every- 

 where, and is of several types domed when in trees and 

 bushes or amongst statuary, cup-shaped when in holes 

 of trees or buildings. The materials are of infinite 

 variety. The four or five eggs vary a good deal in colour, 

 but the ground is white, with a more or less grey or 

 brown tinge, marked to a varying extent with different 

 shades of brown and grey. 



Except in autumn, just after the moult, the London 

 Sparrow is so grimy and disreputable that one can scarcely 

 gain a correct idea of his actual coloration. He needs 

 but the briefest description here. The adult male has a 

 dark grey crown, encircled by chestnut, the upper back 

 chestnut streaked with black, the lower back and rump 

 ash-brown ; the feathers under the eye are black, a spot 

 behind the eye white, the ear-coverts and cheeks dirty 

 white ; the wings and tail are brown, the former with 

 a white bar ; the throat and fore-neck are black, the 

 remainder of the under surface greyish white, suffused with 

 brown on the flanks and under tail-coverts. Bill black; 

 tarsi and toes brown ; irides brown. Length 6 inches. 

 The female is not so showy as the male, wants the black 

 throat, the grey and chestnut on the head, the white 

 wing-bar and cheeks. The nestling resembles the female, 

 but is a little paler. 



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