170 THE BIRDS OF KENT 



number of destructive insects, whicb may to a certain 

 extent compensate for the grain they have eaten. 



Note on a Singular Noise made by a Sparrmc. — "I 

 have more than once heard the singular noise made by 

 the House-Sparrow, noticed by the Rev. A. Hussey in 

 the December number of the Zoologist, 353. The first 

 time I heard it was about two years ago. My attention 

 was attracted l^y a strange note which proceeded from 

 a bird in an apple-tree, which I cautiously approached, 

 fully expecting to discover some 7'aya avis. In this, 

 however, I was disappointed, for after carefully scru- 

 tinising" every branch, I could discover nothing but some 

 Sparrows ; and feeling pretty sure that no bird had flown 

 from the tree since I heard the sound, and being unable 

 to discover the cause from which they were produced, 

 not suspecting at all that so common a bird as a 

 Sparrow was in reality the author of this unknown noise, 

 I began to think it was vox et prceterect nihil. But 

 hearing it repeated, it struck me it must have proceeded 

 from a Sparrow. After watching them for some little 

 time, I presently heard the noise again, and this time I 

 was fortunate enough to detect an old cock Sparrow in 

 the act. He appeared at the moment to be in a state 

 of considerable excitement ; his head was stretched out 

 almost on a line with his back, his wings and tail were 

 fluttering, and he was evidently under the influence of 

 some passerine emotion. M}^ impression at the time 

 was that the sounds (which appeared to me to be a sort 

 of buzzing croak) proceeded from the throat of the bird,, 

 but I might be mistaken. I have heard the same sounds 

 once or twice since, but have not again been able to see 

 the bird in the act of emitting them, although I knew 

 that Sparrows were the authors of them, as they were 



