346 PASSER DOMESTICUS. 



When not engaged in feeding, they perch on trees and bushes, 

 especially hawthorn hedges, as well as on dead twigs, wood, 

 or straw, near houses, and on the tops of corn-stacks, walls, 

 and buildings. 



^Males, females, and young associate and live peaceaby to- 

 gether, from the termination of the breeding season, about the 

 middle of autumn, to its conmiencement in spring. At the 

 latter period, desperate conflicts take place among the males, 

 in which the females also sometimes assist. When three or 

 four males are engaged in combat, they keep up a loud and in- 

 cessant noise, uttering their usual note, which bears some 

 resemblance to the word phillip or yellop. After they have 

 paired, the males meet each other without animosity, and from 

 the middle of April may be seen sunning themselves on the 

 hedges or houses in little flocks, while the females are engaged 

 in the labour of incubation. In autumn they may be seen fly- 

 ing about in large flocks. They alight in the fields, pick about 

 for some time, and when alarmed betake themselves to a hedge, 

 where they make a great clamour. In a short time they re- 

 turn to the field, disperse, and search for food. 



The sudden appearance of a hawk or other enemy instantly 

 produces a cessation of their noise, and causes them to remain 

 motionless or retreat into the hedge. They are preyed upon 

 by the Sparrow-Hawk, the Merlin, the Weasel, and perhaps 

 other small quadrupeds, as well as by boys, cockney sportsmen, 

 and field naturalists, although they are not much in request 

 among the bird-stufl:ers. It does not appear that they molest any 

 species of their ow^n class. Boys are fond of catching sparrows 

 in traps, which are constructed in the following manner. Two 

 bricks are laid parallel to each other, with another across one 

 of their extremities. A fourth brick, or a piece of slate, tile, 

 or board, is supported between the two parallel bricks by a bit 

 of stick, the low^er end of which rests on the edge of the trans- 

 verse brick. The trap is baited with bread, oatmeal, or any 

 other eatable substance, in attempting to attain which the bird 

 removes the prop, when the lid falls and encloses it. Sparrows 

 may be taken in great numbers, when they perch among ivy 

 on a wall, by means of a net. 



