Other important genera are Ammodramus. with 11 species, including the savanna sparrow (A. sandwichensis), the yellow-winged grass hopper sparrow (A. passerinus), the sharp tailed sparrow (A. caudacutus), and the sea side sparrow (A. maritimus), the last two in habitants of salt marshes, Melospiza, including the song sparrows (q.v.) ; Pooccetes, with the vesper sparrow or bay-winged bunting (P.
gramineus); and others less well-known. The sparrows of Europe are few in number and belong to the genus Passer. Besides the house sparrow, the European tree sparrow (P. montanus) has been introduced into this country. There is also an American bird of the same name, also called Canada spar row (Spivlla monticola), which much re sembles the chipping-sparrow, but has a dis tinct dark spot on the breast and conspicuous white wing-bars. It is a northern bird, but in the winter is abundant in the United States, flocking in fields and shrubbery.
Consult: Ridgway, (Birds of North and Middle America,) Part I. (Washington 1902) ; Forbush, (Useful Birds and Their issued by the Massachusetts Board of Agri culture (1913) ; and general works on ornitho logy. For the aEnglish" sparrow, see Housa
SPARROW.
a small falcon (Falco sparverius), common throughout North America and practically cosmopolitan, since scarcely distinguishable species inhabit all quarters of the globe. It is 11 to 12 inches long, and the adult male has the back tawny; wings bluish and black; seven black blotches about the head; tail chestnut, with a broad black band and a narrow terminal one of white; below white or tawny. The female is more streaky, has the tail tawny with numerous nar row, darker bars; back and wing-coverts rusty, barred with black. These birds are true falcons (see FALCONRY), and admirably hold and active. Not infrequently the sparrow-hawk may be seen to attack other and larger birds of prey, its courage extending even to recklessness, while it is also shy and wary. It feeds largely on mice, which it catches with great skill, and also some times seizes young chickens, hut its depredations in that direction are of little consequence. It makes its nest in hollows of trees, the deserted hole of a large woodpecker, or sometimes an abandoned crow's-nest.