Foreign Cage-Birds at Home 



locality evidently suited the birds, though what 

 they fed upon I never found out, as they did not 

 come down into the streets as our sparrow does ; 

 possibly they went out into the country for their 

 meals, for the Java sparrow has a strong swift 

 flight, and travels much faster on the wing in the 

 open than one would be apt to suppose from 

 observing his somewhat heavy make and move- 

 ments in a cage. 



As an ornament to the buildings about which 

 he breeds in cracks and crevices, the Java sparrow 

 is a great success, and his sweet liquid chirp is 

 much more pleasant to the ear than the harsh 

 notes of the real " spadger." So pleased was I 

 at the sight of him in the capacity of citizen, that 

 when, years afterwards, I went to live in Calcutta, 

 I tried to introduce him there. 



But nearly all the birds I turned out always 

 went off at once, and though an odd one, pro- 

 bably not so strong on the wing, or a casual 

 "escape," might be seen about the place for long 

 periods at times, the birds persistently refused to 

 colonise. As all the building-sites are well taken 

 up by the house sparrow, it is very possible that 

 their attempts to do so would have ended in 

 failures. Once, however, I saw four birds 

 together, in lovely condition, on a bamboo bush, 

 so some may have stayed about away from the 

 houses ; and as I have heard of them in the 



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