. The birds of Europe . ines, never on the northern side of those mountains: from these localities itappears to extend itself along the whole of Italy and the southern countries of Europe. It differs in its habitsfrom our own species, inasmuch as it gives the preference to plains and open country instead of cities andvillages. In the male, the top of the head and back of the neck are of a pure bright chestnut in summer, becoming,after the autumn moult, of a redder tinge, every feather being then edged with rufous ; the cheeks pure white;in other respects the colour is like that of our own bird
. The birds of Europe . ines, never on the northern side of those mountains: from these localities itappears to extend itself along the whole of Italy and the southern countries of Europe. It differs in its habitsfrom our own species, inasmuch as it gives the preference to plains and open country instead of cities andvillages. In the male, the top of the head and back of the neck are of a pure bright chestnut in summer, becoming,after the autumn moult, of a redder tinge, every feather being then edged with rufous ; the cheeks pure white;in other respects the colour is like that of our own bird. The female is so like that of P. domestica that one description will apply to both, with the exception thatin the present bird the head and back of the neck are of a lighter ash-colour, and that its tints are generallypaler. Of the nidification and eggs of the two species here figured we have been unable to obtain any information. Our Plate represents a male of each species, and the head of the female of P. BOUBTFTDX §PA1M¥. Pyrgita Petronia. Jh-as/m-jhom/ Jfctewes& en/ <?1ww h/ JtbKGetxZd/. JfaibtoLly DOUBTFUL SPARROW. Pyrgita Gros-bec soulcie. We have followed the example of many previous ornithologists in associating this bird with those forming therestricted genus Pyrgita, or true Sparrows, although we doubt the propriety of so doing1, as we think that itpossesses peculiar characters, which would entitle it to rank as the type of a separate genus: its strong-conical bill, lengthened wing-, and abbreviated tail are not in strict unison with the generic characters ofPyrgita; but we have refrained from separating it, being desirous of obtaining further informationrespecting its habits and manners, which doubtless differ in many particulars from those of the Sparrowsthe typical form of which is represented by the common species inhabiting England. Independently of thecharacters alluded to as differing from those of Pyrgita, we may
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectpictorialworks
