STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



The house sparrow cannot sing ; it can only make a loud noisy chirp. 

 And yet so great is the power of imitation, that a sparrow, that was once shut 

 up in a cage with a linnet and a goldfinch, learnt a kind of song that was a 

 mixture of the notes of each. 



In spring, when the sparrow is choosing a partner, and thinking about 

 building a nest, a great many fierce quarrels take place. A dozen or more 

 sparrows may be seen scolding, and pecking, and chasing each other about, 

 and so intent are they on their squabbles, that they allow you to come close 

 up to them without seeing you. But when an enemy is really at hand, and 

 can be spied by all, the noise stops in a moment, and the birds forget their 

 quarrel, and fly off to the hedge or the trees for shelter. 



The sparrow chooses a very snug place for its nest — in some chink in the 

 wall, or under the eaves of the house, or among the thatch. When the spot 

 has been chosen, the two birds set to work and get all the materials they can. 

 From morning till night they carry up straws, or the withered stalks of plants, 

 bits of rag, that may have been thrown out, pieces of thread, and feathers, or 

 anything they can procure. 



The sparrows are at all times keenly alive to their own interests, and on 

 the watch for all they can get. They seem to know the sound of the mower's 

 scythe, as it rustles through the long grass. The moment it ceases, we have 

 seen them come down in flocks, and fly off again through the air, with long 

 streaming pieces of grass in their beaks. 



The sparrows are very audacious birds, and can make themselves at 

 home anywhere. They do not always take the trouble to build a nest — that 

 is, if they can find one empty close at hand. Taking advantage of the 

 absence of the swallow, they get into her nest, and set up housekeeping as if 

 it belonged to them. 



By-and-by the swallows return from their winter's trip, and come back to 

 their old haunts, intending to begin housekeeping themselves. 



But the saucy sparrow puts out its head and insolently defies them. We 

 have seen the comfortable nest of the swallow taken possession of several 

 times in this way, until the swallows gave up the contest, and the sparrows 

 fairly established themselves. 



But they do not always escape so easily. It chanced on one occasion 

 that the swallows came back and found their house occupied by a sparrow. 

 The sparrow put out its head and pecked and scolded, and behaved with its 



