86 



On the Ornithology of Wilts [FrmgilUdce], 



occurs so frequently, as to bo by no means uncommon : I have 

 notices of it from sevoral parts of Salisbury Plain, and Mr. B. 

 Ilayward tells me it occurs on the Lavington downs occasionally 

 in some numbers : Mr. Withers says it has often been killed near 

 Devizes, and many of them have passed through his hands : and 

 during 1858 I received a fine specimen in the flesh from the Rev. 

 F. Goddard, which was killed March 10th at Sopworth, Malmes- 

 bury, and is now in my collection ; and was very kindly offered 

 another by the Rev. H. Hare, which was killed at Bradford. The 

 Mountain Finch when it appears here, is always found associating 

 with the Chaffinches, which it much resembles in habits, but is 

 conspicuous amongst them by its exceedingly handsome plumage 

 of black, white, and fawn colour so mingled as to form a pleasing 

 contrast : its true habitat is in the vast pine forests of Northern 

 Europe, where it breeds. 



" House Sparrow" (Passer domesticus). So well known to every 

 body, that I need not say a word about it, beyond calling attention 

 to the extremely handsome plumage of the cock bird, which is 

 often overlooked ; the colours black, grey, chestnut, and brown, blend 

 with peculiar harmony : I mean of course in our country specimen, 

 for in favour of town sparrows I have nothing to say, pert, illcon- 

 ditioned, dirty, and grimed with soot as they are. Here, however 

 I would call attention to the Sparrow club, or the Sparrow fund 

 which exists in so many of our agricultural Parishes in this County : 

 and in many of the Churchwardens account books may be seen, as 

 a considerable item of the Church Rate annually and for very many 

 years past, so many dozen Sparrows destroyed at so much per dozen, 

 the price varying according to the maturity or immaturity of the 

 victims : Thus in an old Churchwarden's book, belonging to this 

 small parish, dating from above 100 years ago, I see the items 

 every year of from 20 to 90 dozen old Sparrows at 4 pence the 

 dozen, and from 10 to 70 dozen young birds at 2 pence the dozen ; 

 and these with an occasional shilling for the capture of a fox, a 

 groat for a polecat and an occasional sixpence given to a sailor, 

 seem to have formed the principal part of the Church expenses of the 

 good Parish of Yatesbury for above 100 years : so lightly did the 



