6 
houses, building its nest like that of P. domesticus. Its nest is constructed of straw, hay, roots, 
wool, hair, and feathers, and is a somewhat slovenly structure. ‘The interior cup, in which the 
eggs are deposited, is carefully and thickly lined with feathers, which form a soft bed for the 
egos. The nesting-place is selected as early as February; and eggs are deposited sometimes as 
early as the end of March or beginning of April. The old birds raise three broods in the 
season; but the younger ones only one, or at most two. Both male and female incubate in turn 
for thirteen or fourteen days; and when the young are hatched they are most carefully tended 
and fed by both parents until able to seek for food by themselves. 
Judging from those I have collected, the eggs of the present species run much darker and 
are smaller than those of the common House-Sparrow. ‘The ground-colour is dull white, and 
the markings are dark wood-brown, or brown with an umber tinge; but these latter are generally 
so profuse as to almost hide the ground-colour altogether, though here and there one finds an 
ege less closely marked and showing the ground-colour, and one or two have a faint greyish 
tinge. In size those in my collection vary from 7 by $$ to #0 by 26 inch. The number of 
eges deposited varies not a little. Old females lay as many as six or seven in the first clutch, 
and less in the second and third; whereas young females lay four or five, seldom or never more 
than the latter number. The young birds when able to forage for themselves collect together, 
often forming large flocks, and are only joined by their parents when these latter have brought 
out their last brood, when all rove about the country in search of food. In most parts of the 
Continent a partial migration appears to take place, though in many parts this bird is a resident. 
With us in Great Britain it also appears to be a partial, if not a regular, migrant. Mr. Blyth, 
in Rennie’s ‘ Field Naturalist’ (i. p. 467) states that a vessel coming from Aberdeen to London 
was, when off the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts, visited by large numbers of Tree-Sparrows which 
appeared to be on passage; and Mr. E. Hearle Rodd gives an instance of a Norwegian brig 
being visited by thousands of the present species when midway between Norway and England. 
The specimens figured are the adult male and female above described. 
In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens :— 
E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 
a,2. Farnborough, Kent (H. H. D.). 6. Hampstead, November 11th, 1869 (Davy). cc, ¢. Hareskov, 
Denmark, January 6th. d. Hareskov, February 15th, 1872 (A. Benzon). e, 2. Piedmont, March. 
f, 3. Piedmont, April 1870 (Salvadori). g, dé. Bujukdere valley, Turkey, October 18th, 1870 (Robsen). 
h, 2. Amoy, China (R. Swinhoe). i, k. Nagasaki, Japan (Whitely). 1. Yokohama, Japan, February 
21st, 1870 (Captain Conrad). 
E Mus. R. Swinhoe. 
a,3,6,3. Amoy, April 1861. c,?,d,3,e,d. Takow, January 1869. f,¢6. Canton, April 1860. g. Peking, 
July 1860. h. Peking, October 1860. i. Peking, July 1868 (R. S.). 
E Mus. Howard Saunders. 
g, 3. Ping, Valencia, October 17th. 6, g. Silla, Valencia, November. c, 9. Malaga, November Ist. d, 3. 
Sicily (Doderlein). e,3. France, May. 
