C4 THE BIRDS OF DEVON. 



our expectations hy leaving us witliout having a nest. In its ■wild state 

 no other small bird is, perhaps, more readily to be recognized. Its dipping 

 flight, in -which the white tips of the tail-feathers are very conspicuous, 

 at once betrays it. 



House-Sparrow. Passer domesticus (Linn.). 



llesident, extremely abundant, and generally distributed. Breeds. 



On Dartmoor and its borders Sparrows are, as might be expected, 

 not numerous, food being scarce and human habitations few and far 

 between. But in summer a few visit the lonely farm-houses and cottages 

 and breed about them. According to Mr. J. Brooking Howe, in the 

 parish of Sheepstor, a small moorland village, about eight miles from 

 Plymouth, it is never seen (Trans. Plym. Inst. 1862-3, p. 63). The Eev. 

 C. H. Crookc, however, says that Sparrows are by no means uncommon 

 there (Pidsley, ' B. of Devonshire,' p. 42). It used also to be asserted that 

 this everywhere too abundant bird did not occur at Withycombe-in-the- 

 Moor, a romantic village situated on the eastern side of Dartmoor. How- 

 ever, Mr. J. Gatcombe soon proved this to be an error, for, on visiting the 

 village in question, the first bird to greet him in the street was the 

 ubiquitous House-Sparrow. It is only an occasional visitor to Lundy Island. 



Albinos and varieties with white heads and wings frequently occur. 

 AVe have seen many white and particoloured specimens in and near 

 Exeter and at Exmouth. 



Tree-Sparrow. Passer monfanus (Linn.). 



A casual visitor of rather rare occurrence in the winter months, but it 

 is apparently extending its range westward and becoming more frequent. 



In 1S30 Turton and Kingston stated that it was rarely seen in Devon- 

 shire, and Dr. E. Moore included it in a list of birds which had not been 

 noticed in the county, when he published his paper " On the Ornithology 

 of the South of Devon " in the Trans. Plymouth Institution for that year. 

 Mr. J. Gatcombe found two specimens amongst a lot of small birds exposed 

 for sale in Plymouth Market in March 1857 (Zool. 1857, p. 5592) ; and 

 another was killed at St. Budeaux on March 20th, 1857, by Mr. Jolley, 

 a friend of Mr. Gatcombe, who recognized it. Mr. Gatcombe also obtained 

 one in Plymouth Market on February 21st, 1860 (MS. Xotes). Capt. 

 J, C. Tyrwhitt-Drake shot one at Bicton, near East Budleigh, December 

 30th, 1862. Three were seen and two shot November 3rd, 188-1, by 

 Mr. Burridge, at "Worthy, near Kingsbridge (E. A. S. E., Zool. 1885, p. .32, 

 and R. P. X., MS. Xotes). Mr. Elliot has obtained other specimens in his 

 district since then, and Mr. 11. P. XichoUs, a few years ago, met with a 

 flock in a hedge near Ticket Wood Bridge in winter. Some occurred at 

 "West Alvington in October, and some at Milton Lev in December 1890 

 (E. A. S. E.). 



A more dapper, dandified-looking bird than the cosmopolitan House- 



