=House Sparrow=: ear region bright grey. A rust-coloured or yellowish streak behind the eye. The whole throat black in the male. Wings with a yellowish white transverse band. =Tree Sparrow=: ear region black. A black streak behind the eye, a white band round the neck, and a black patch on the throat. Wings with two white transverse bands. The two sparrows are very much alike in their habits, but the house sparrow frequents more the neighbourhood of human dwellings, even in large towns. Both sparrows are mainly harmful; where seeds (especially those containing starch, _e.g._ corn) are available, they prefer this kind of food to any other; and, besides this, they chiefly bring up their young on soft unripe grain. Sparrows devour the germinating corn after seed-time, and also pick the grain from the ear, in which process they at the same time do damage by breaking down the haulms so that the grain falls out. They pick the young peas from their pods; devour, too, several juicy tree fruits, _e.g._ cherries and grapes; and destroy young garden seedlings, _e.g._ lettuce, spinach, garden flowers. The house sparrow eats more insects than the tree sparrow (among them—geometer caterpillars, injurious roller caterpillars), but leaves the most noxious kinds untouched. Both sparrows are residents, but in autumn and winter often collect together in large flocks. The =Linnet= (_Linota cannabina_), with grey-brown darkly spotted back. Belly whitish, tail black with broad white margins. During summer the top of the head and the breast of the male are of a beautiful red. They are often found together in flocks during September. In spring and summer they chiefly live on oil-containing seeds, and may even do some good by eating the seeds of charlock; usually, however, doing much more harm by devouring the seed of rape, flax, linseed, and hemp. The =Chaffinch= (_Fringilla cœlebs_).