154 The Naturalist in Siluria. 



THE TREE SPARROW. 



This bird is^ in most districts, of sufiBcient rarity to 

 make it interesting and its possession desirable. I have 

 a specimen before me, just shot in my grounds, a cock in 

 ■winter plumage, and for those who find a difficulty in 

 distinguishing it from the house sparrow, to which, it 

 bears a remarkable resemblance, I offer some indices 

 that may be relied on. The Tree Sparrow is smaller than 

 its congener of the farmstead, besides being of neater 

 shape, and trimmer in the arrangement of its plumage. 

 Two whitish bars traverse its wings diagonally where the 

 house sparrow has but one. But the best point of dis- 

 tinction, or that easiest to determine, will be found in 

 the colour of the crown — this in the passer montanus 

 being a fairly good chestnut, while in the passer domesti- 

 cus it is bluish grey. 



In habits they are altogether different, the former a 

 shy bird, keeping afield, and, if I mistake not, only 

 associating in families, save during severe weather. Then 

 it sometimes approaches the homestead perforce, con- 

 sorting with others of the fringillidce, to which it generi- 

 cally belongs. 



Likely enough the Tree Sparrow is oftener seen than 

 recognised, its similarity to the gable-end chatterer 

 making its identification very difficult indeed. 



THE GROSBEAK IN GREATER NUMBERS 

 THAN SUPPOSED. 



The grosbeak, or, as more commonly called, hawfinch 



