256 FRINGILLIILE. 



1841, he " got a singularly deformed female sparrow, in which the 

 upper mandible is slightly twisted to one side, the lower one nearly 

 two inches long, and turned down like that of a curlew : the bird 

 was seen to feed by laying the side of its head to the ground." 



These birds are very common in the island of Bathlin,* and in 

 August, 1845, several were observed about the round tower, and 

 neighbouring cottages in Tory Island.t ' Sir Win. Jardine and 

 Mr. Macgillivray say nothing of the scarcity of sparrows in any 

 part of the mainland of Scotland, but about Aberarder, Inver- 

 ness-shire, none came under my notice in September, 1842, though 

 there are numerous corn-fields and cottages in the valley, nor were 

 they observed about Ballochmorrie, in Ayr-shire, in October of 

 the following year, but I am told that they do sometimes appear 

 there — in both localities their place was supplied by chaffinches. 

 They are said to be numerously dispersed throughout Shetland 

 and Orkney. J 



On account of the propensities alluded to, sparrows are perhaps 

 the most amusing of our small common birds ; but all bounds of 

 propriety seem to be set at nought, when quite out of character 

 with the scene, they, so begrimed, squat, chatter, and take up 

 their abode on the stupendous cathedral of St. Paul's in London, 

 beneath whose canopy, the ashes of the mightiest only among 

 ourselves find a domeiile. 



The Bishop of Norwich, in his Familiar History of Birds, 

 treats very pleasantly of the sparrow, as Mr. Knapp also does in 

 the Journal of a Naturalist. In the Eecreations of Christopher 

 North, a most ludicrous account of it will be found (vol. i. p. 45). 

 Bewick too, waxes warm and eloquent in its defence, against the 

 sweeping denunciation of Buffon. 



The Tree or Mountain Sparrow (Fringilla montana) appears in 

 Templeton's Catalogue of Irish Vertebrate Animals " as a doubtful 

 native ; " but to my ornithological friends and myself is quite un- 

 known. The species is only partially distributed in England, (Yarr.) 

 and has not been found in Scotland (Jard. ; Macg.). 



* Dr. J. D. Marshall. f Mr. Hyndnian. 



X Drum's Ornith. Guide to Ork. and Shet. p. 80. 



