Ornithological and Other Oddities 



which had full power of flight, and these may 

 have carried the news. I saw one of these 

 true London gulls some time ago capture an 

 unfortunate sparrow, which, after well soaking, 

 it proceeded to swallow whole, and then un- 

 successfully attempted to catch another, craftily 

 going about with lowered head. But the success 

 of the first attempt shows that " Philip Sparrow " 

 has a lot to learn about ornithology, for he cer- 

 tainly does not seem to be aware of the difference 

 between a gull and a duck. 



" Philip " himself is more interesting in town 

 than in the country, if only by reason of his 

 more marked tendency to sport a motley coat. 

 A pied bird was living near me for some time, 

 but at last disappeared. The last time I saw 

 him he was paying vigorous court to a hen 

 sparrow, his expanded wings and tail showing 

 off their white quills very strikingly. Whether 

 the lady approved of this abnormal display I 

 do not know — his sudden disappearance would 

 seem to imply that she did not, and that he 

 had consequently committed suicide or emi- 

 grated ! But there are always some pied birds 

 about, and such are always interesting, if only 

 because they can be individually observed. 



The thrush tribe seem to do remarkably well 

 in London ; the song-thrush and blackbird can 

 hardly be commoner anywhere, and are delight- 

 fully tame and full of song. The thrush sings 



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