CHAPTER XYI. 



The House Sparrow. 



Fringilla domestica, Lin.; La Moineau Franc, Buf. ; Passer 

 domesticus, Sel. 



Description and Ohaeacter. — The chief attraction of this 

 bird is, undoubtedly, its social and domestic disposition, and 

 its evident liking for the society of man, for, wherever there 

 are human habitations, so surely will the Sparrow be found. 

 It is remarkably quick both in seeing and hearing, very 

 agile in its movements, continually on the alert, and appre- 

 hends at a glance when danger threatens. It is cautious as 

 well as bold, and frequently displays an amount of intelli- 

 gence and forethought which seems to leave animal instinct 

 in the shade. 



An adult bird measures 6in. long. The bill is massive, 

 and very strong and powerful ; the upper mandible is brown, 

 bordering on slaty black, the lower one being brownish flesh 

 colour, with a dark tip. The top of the head and back of 

 neck are greyish brown, and reddish brown at the sides ; 

 the cheeks are light greyish brown. A black spot extends 

 from the base of the bill to the eye ; the throat or gullet 

 is black ; the sides of the throat are pale grey ; the breast 

 is dingy grey, mottled with black ; the belly and sides are 

 greyish white. The shoulders and back are a mixture of 

 greenish grey, black, and chestnut brown, commingled in 

 stripes ; the rump and tail are of an indefinite greenish 

 grey-brown. The wings are brown, shaded with black and 

 golden chestnut brown ; the small wing coverts are bright 



