TREE SPARROW 
113 
TREE SPARROW. 
(^Passer montanus,) 
The Tree Sparrow is by no means so common 
a bird as its relative, with which it is often found 
in company, but it is probably commoner than is 
generally supposed, owing to its being confused 
with the better-known species. It is a slightly 
smaller bird than the other, and slightly more 
retiring, and less truly sparrow-like, in its voice 
and ways ; its chirp is noticeably less harsh and 
impudent than the House Sparrow's familiar cry. 
Both sexes are alike in plumage, and resemble the 
cock House Sparrow ; the Tree Sparrow can be 
distinguished by having its crown and neck chest- 
nut brown instead of grey, by the black patch upon 
the white cheeks, whereas the House Sparrow's 
cheeks are grey and have no patch, and by the 
two narrow white bands upon each wing, whereas 
in the House Sparrow the front band is much 
thicker and broader than the other. It haunts the 
neighbourhood of houses rather less closely than 
its relative, though the difference in this respect is 
not very marked. The nest is built in a hole, 
generally in a pollard willow or other decayed tree, 
but also in thatched roofs, as well as holes in walls 
and under tiles, or even in rocks. Dry grass and 
