PASSEEES (finches). 397 



behind the eye, and the wings with one dusky white bar ; the 

 tree-sparrow has a black streak behind the eye and two white 

 bands on the wings, and a white ring nearly round the throat ; 

 the head is a bright chestnut colour. The tree-sparrow is not 

 abundant like P. domesticm ; it is usually found in company 

 with the latter. They are both very destructive at times. Corn, 

 both in the seed and when in crop, is materially damaged by 

 them, and there can be no doubt but that they are the cause of 

 much loss in that respect to the farmer ; but corn is not to be 

 obtained all the year round, though they take it whenever 

 possible in the farmyard, often eating as much as the poultry. 

 At other times sparrows do some little good, for they devour 

 many insect pests which we could never get at. The writer 

 at one time condemned these birds before some farmers and 

 gardeners in Surrey, when he was promptly brought to order by 

 more than one, who pointed out their great benefit in destroying 

 insects. Certainly they can be seen clearing off the " colliers " 

 on beans and the " blight " on corn, and they feed ravenously 

 on small larvae on fruit-trees. Water-cress growers say their 

 chief remedy for the " caddis-worms " is to let the beds run dry, 

 ■when the sparrows soon clear them off. Put to this the fact 

 that they devour large quantities of weed-seeds, and then we 

 may not think so ill of this cosmopolitan bird. We know 

 not what might happen if we eradicated them — an almost im- 

 possible act to perform, as they are immensely prolific, having 

 often three broods in the year. They are, however, far too 

 abundant, and should be thinned out to some considerable 

 extent. The young, like all finches, are fed entirely on insect 

 food, and thus it is advisable not to destroy the nests, but to 

 kill off the birds later in the year. Another great fault is 

 that of waging war against the beneficial martins. 



The Goldfinch (Oarduelis elegans), although not nearly so 

 common as formerly, is still met with all over Britain. 

 Like all finches, the young are fed on insects ; the adults 

 live upon the seeds of thistles, knapweed, groundsel, and 



