New Series, 1906. 



^39 



8. If you live on a farm, you may know what a shepherd dog is. 

 What breed is the shepherd dog? 



ENGLISH SPARROWS. 



When we speak of sparrows we usually think of the English sparrow, 

 the only one of its kind that has a bad reputation. If boys and girls 

 were to study the habits of the sparrows they would be surprised to 

 learn how much good many of them do on the farm. Perhaps some boys 

 and girls do not know that there are a great many different kinds of 

 sparrows. If you become a good bird student you may some day know 

 twenty or more different ones. Some that come into my mind are: The 

 Snowflake, Lapland Longspur, Vesper, Grasshopper, Lark, English, 

 White-crowned, White-throated, Chipping, Junco, Song, Swamp, Fox, 

 and there are a number of others. 



Many of these 

 little birds look quite 

 similar when you 

 see them out-of- 

 doors, but when you 

 begin to be a close 

 observer you will 

 find there is a dif- 

 ference in their size, 

 shape, color, tricks 

 and manners. Now 

 in the wintertime I 

 want you to begin 

 your study of the 

 English sparrow. 

 Very little can be 

 said in his favor, to 

 be sure, but we as 

 Naturalists do not 



Fig. 5. — Which dog looks most like a wolf? 



want anyone to tell us why he has become a nuisance. We want to find 

 out for ourselves. Therefore let us consider the following suggestions 

 for study : 



1. Are English sparrows sociable birds or do you find them alone? 

 There is a difference in the marking of the male and female English 

 sparrow ; see whether you can tell Uncle John what this difference is. 



2. Where have you seen English sparrows feeding? 



3. Where have you seen them make their homes? Try to find the 

 nest of an English sparrow and notice whether it is neatly or care- 

 lessly made. 



