182 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



trees, especially (in our neighbourhood) decayed ash, 

 willows, and walnuts. The nest is generally built in 

 a hole at a considerable height from the ground, and 

 is composed of dry grass with a lining of feathers. 

 The average complement of eggs is about six ; they 

 very much resemble those of the House-Sparrow in 

 colour and markings, though, as a rule, the ground- 

 colour is lighter than in those of that species, and 

 the size considerably smaller. The Tree-Sparrow is 

 a lively, active bird, with a good deal of the habits 

 and manners of his more common relation, but 

 without the familiarity and impudence of that bird, 

 in fact we are inclined to consider the present rather 

 a shy species, and although there are certain localities 

 in the vicinity of Lilford in which we can always be 

 pretty certain of finding the bird, the obtaining of 

 specimens when required is by no means equally 

 certain. The ordinary notes of the Tree-Sparrow are 

 sharper and more shrill than those of the House- 

 Sparrow, to which, however, they have a great 

 resemblance, at the pairing-season we have occa- 

 sionally heard a sort of prolonged chatter from the 

 male bird, which we presume to be the " proper 

 song" mentioned in the fourth edition of Yarrell's 

 ' British Birds ' ; far be it from us to pronounce it 

 improper, but we question its title to be considered as 

 a song. The chief peculiarity of the Tree-Sparrow is 

 the close resemblance of the sexes, which are indeed 

 hardly to be distinguished in plumage from each 

 other. We have met with this species in various 

 parts of the continent of Europe, but nowhere in 

 great abundance ; in England it is certainly more 

 common in the eastern than the western counties, 

 though not rare in certain portions of Lancashiie 



