ORDER PASSERES. 245 



the remainder of the brood, which consisted of four. I need 

 hardly add, that not one, either of the parents or children, 

 ever again revisited the execrated cage." 



An anecdote of this kind, well authenticated, is worth all 

 the Greek and Latin of all the nomenclators, that ever bar- 

 barized language for the purpose of obscuring knowledge. 



There are some accidental varieties of the sparrow. Such 

 is the white sparrow, which has sometimes the plumage of a 

 dirty white, sometimes as brilliant as snow, sometimes the 

 head and neck of the same colour as the others, with the iris 

 sometimes yellow and sometimes red. The young ones, which 

 are white in infancy, become like the others, not unfrequentlyj 

 on the first moulting. This colour is also acquired by age' 

 and it is not uncommon to see some old sparrows, which are 

 partially white. The black or blackish sparrow, the yellow 

 sparrow, and the red, are also accidental varieties. 



The Tree-Finch (Fringilla Montana) is remarkable for 

 its perpetual movements when alighted on any place, for 

 turning and moving the tail, raising and lowering it, flut- 

 tering, &c. continually. It is sometimes confounded with the 

 common sparrow ; but it is easy to distinguish it by its mode 

 of life, size, and plumage. It seldom approaches our houses, 

 but remains in the country, frequenting the sides of roads, 

 and the banks of streams shaded with willows. It perches 

 on trees and low shrubs. It is also found in woods, but 

 more rarely. 



This sparrow fixes its nest in the hollows of trees, and in 

 the crevices of old walls, at no great distance from the ground. 

 It constructs it of fine and dried plants, cattle hair, and 

 feathers. Six eggs are the most that are laid, of a dirty 

 white, spotted with brown. Noseman relates a singular fact, 

 that out of these eggs there is always one smaller than the 

 rest, and that the bird which proceeds from it is also much 



