Rural School Leaflet. 821 



Material and methods. — These questions may be given as text for 

 field notebook work. It is very important that the pupils learn to write 

 their observations so as to fix them in mind. The field notebook en- 

 courages them to do this informally yet accurately. 



Observations for pupils: 



1. What is the food of the English Sparrow? Where is it found? 

 How is the bird's beak adapted to get this food? 



2. Describe the action of a flock of English Sparrows feeding in the 

 street or elsewhere. 



3. What do you think of the English Sparrow's disposition? Why 

 do you think this? 



4. Why does it stay with us in the winter instead of going south? 



5. Does it winter in country fields and woods or about houses or 

 in villages? 



6. Describe by observation how it treats our native birds and the 

 result of this treatment. 



7. Describe the nest of the English Sparrow. Of what material is 

 it made? How is it supported? How is it sheltered? Is it well built? 



8. Describe the eggs; how many broods are raised each year by one 

 pair of birds ? 



9. What kind of food do the parents give their nestlings? 



10. What do you think of the ability of these sparrows? Are they 

 stupid or clever? Give an account of things you have seen them do 

 which indicate their stupidity or cleverness. 



1 1 . Try to find out under what circumstances the different notes of 

 the English Sparrow are used. 



12. In what ways is this bird a nuisance? Is it of any benefit? 



13. How can one build bird houses so that the English Sparrow 

 will not take possession of them? 



14. How can we discourage it from living on our premises? 



Facts for the teacher. — The English Sparrow prefers the cultivated 

 grains to the seeds of wild plants. It takes the seed after sowing and 

 also attacks the new grain in the sheaf. Wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn, 

 sorghum, and rice are thus attacked. It also destroys buds and blossoms 

 of fruit trees and occasionally injures the ripe fruit. It has the char- 

 acteristic wide, strong beak of grain-eating and seed-eating birds. 



When feeding, the English Sparrow is noisy and quarrelsome; if there 

 is no other species of bird for it to attack, the birds will fight among 

 themselves — for this sparrow seems to have a "chip on the shoulder." 

 When it sings, it gives voice to vexatious chirping; it squalls when 



