The Houfe-Sparrow. Pafler domefticust
Numb. LXII.
ITS Weight is fixteen Drams ; Length from the Bill to the End of the Tail fix Inches'
and a half ; the Breadth when extended is nine Inches and a half; the Bill is thick,
theCock black at the Corners of the Mouth, and between the Eyes yellowiih ; in the Hen
dusky, icarce half an Inch long ; the Eyes hazel coloured, the Legs and Feet of a duiky
Fleih Colour, the Claws black ; the Head is of a dulky blue, or aih Colour, and the-
Chin black ; above the Eyes are two fmall white Spots, and from thé Eyes a broad Line
of a Bay Colour. The Feathers growing about the Ears are alh coloured, the Throat
(below the/olack Spot) of a whitiih aih Colour ; under the Ears on each Side is a lông
white Spot. The lower Breaft and Belly are white, and the Feathers dividing between the
Back and Neck, on the outfide Shaft are red, on the infide black, but toward their
Bottoms fomething of a white terminates the red. The reft of the Back and Rump are
of a Mixture of duiky green and dark aih Colour.
The Hen Bird wants the black Spot under the Throat, as alfo the white Spots on the:
Neck and above the Eyes; its Head and Neck are of the fame Colour with the Rumps
the nether fide of the Body is of a dulky white, and inftëad of the white Line croft the
Wings, it hath black Feathers with pale rediih Tips, the Colours in general o f the Hen-
not being fo fair and lively as thofe of the Cock.
Each Wing hath eighteen quill Feathers, duiky, with rediih Edges, and’ from the Baf-
tard Wing a broad white Line is extended to the next Joint; above this Line the Covert
Feathers of the Wings are of a rediih brown ; beneath they have their middle Parts
black, and their exterior Edges red. The Tail hath twelve Feathers, and is two Inches
and a quarter long, the middlemoft being fomething ihorter than the reft ; all of a dulky
black Colour, with rediih Edges. The Guts are nine Inches long, the blind Guts very
ihort; its Stomach mufculous, it feeding upon Wheat, Oats and other Grain V its Tefticles
are large, as is alfo the Womb of; the Female, it being a falacious Bird, arid for that Rea—
fon is reported to be ihort lived.
This Kind of Bird doth fometimes vary in Colour: Aldrovandiis makes mention ofa-
white Sparrow and a yellow Sparrow ; I- had one of the white kind to draw from Mr.
Nathaniel Oldham ; likewife the Copper coloured Sparrow, at North Bearly in Yorkjhire, in
the Poffeffion of the curious Dr. Richdrdjbn. Their Phyfical Ufe is fâid to provoke Ve—
Bery.. .........