TREE-SPARROW — CHAFFINCH. 
83 
a very faint subterminal bar upon the tail. The eggs also vary considerably, 
and Mr. Davenport writes that he took a white e^ff of this bird at SkefHnsrton. 
in May, 1880. 
In Eutland. — As in Leicestershire. — I saw a white variety in the possession 
of Mr. K. Tryon, procured at Oakham about 1883. 
TEEE-SPARROW. Passer montanus (Linnaeus). 
“ Mountain-Sparrow.” 
Resident, but sparingly distributed over the woodlands. —Mr. Davenport 
shot one at Skeffington in Dec., 1876. Mr. H. Ellis shot one at Grlenfield on 
29th Dec., 1881. The late Mr. R. Widdowson sent me one from Melton 
]\Iowbray. I killed one (a female) at Blaby, on 25th March, 1884; and others, 
consorting with Chaffinches and Grreenfinches, in snowy weather, at Knighton, 
on 14th Jan., 1885. 
Harley found the nest in holes in various trees, “ especially in those made 
by the Grreen Woodpecker ” ; he also met with it placed immediately beneath 
that of the Magpie and Rook, and sometimes about barns and outbuildings ; in 
which statement he is corroborated by Mr. Davenport, who adds the well-known 
fact, that nine-tenths of the eggs attributed to the Tree-Sparrow are those of 
the common House-Sparrow. 
In Rutland. — Resident, but sparingly distributed over the woodlands. — ■ 
jMr. Horn has found nests in holes of trees about Uppingham. 
CHAFFINCH. Fringilla ccelebs, Linnaeus. 
“ Pink ” or “ Spink ” (no doubt from its note), “ Pye-Finch,” 
“ Pie-Finch ” (i.e. Pied Ph'nch). 
Resident and common, breeding in gardens and plantations close to the 
town of Leicester. — With regard to the flocking of hen Chaffinches in the 
autumn, as narrated by Gilbert White, Harley believed that writer to be in 
error, as the birds might be immature individuals of the year, and not females, 
as he himself had observed. I have shot many, and found the apparent females 
to be, as noted above, immature specimens of both sexes. Mr. Ingram writes 
from Belvoir that they flock there “ in thousands, and are useful in destroying 
the seeds of weeds.” 
Mr. G. H. Storer writes : — “ In my aviary I have, a pair of Chaffinches. 
One summer morning I picked up a young Sparrow which had fallen from 
the nest, and, although fairly feathered, was unable to fly. I placed it in a 
cage in which were about a dozen other birds, including the Chaffinches. No 
notice was taken of the little stranger for a time, except by the Reed Bunting, 
who tried, in a half-hearted sort of way, to play the bully, by opening his beak 
and making a dead set at the intruder, until the Sparrow began to cry out 
