(j2 1 he Rosc-brcasicd drosbcak. 



liUlr wild i>i (ipk-. and >a\v many tilings; birds especially, were quite dif- 

 kniil ciLaluics to wiial ihey were later in the day, when their enemies, 

 c^))(.'cially i unians, wcie about." 



" It v^a^ at sunrise I lirst heard young- ;one and two year oldj cock 

 sparrows ^lUi^ — 1 wonder how many people know they do? 1 have a tine 

 book on bii.ls thai states ' Sparrows only have a hoarse irritating- chirp ' 

 — That i^ wl:at sparrows think good enough for a world tliat despises them 

 (a little too sweeping." — Ed.) 1 have had many in-doors, wounded and 

 healed, but unalile to Hy far enough to go free and 1 know them well. 1 

 am always with my birds day and night. They are on a waist high, i8 

 in. wide wiiidow-sill, !^^ ft. long, at the other end of the room (Foreigners 

 kepi at stove enu). 1 heard a lovely little soft fluting (not my old 

 linnet, he shouts: not .Siskins, and there remained only foreigners), so I 

 ditl not mo\e. IjuI took up a litile hand looking-glass and saw my two year 

 old and a younger cock sparrows singing — the older birds never sing, 

 and the younger not after day is begun." 



H yb] ulismg Sparrows : "I have seen letters in the Fancy Press on 

 this topic, and, 1 am sure it is possible; that is if a cock bird be used, the 

 hens [ find never get tan-ie they are also verx nervous, even after six or 

 seven vears of cage-life.* Also, the cock builds the nest. One of mine 

 has l)uilt a nest, in a box Hxed over the cage door opening, biit the hen 

 simply dismantles the nest." 



With all the writer'.s deductions we may not be in perfect 



accord. l)tit: they make interesting reading, and evince a strong 



interest in, and love for, the wild feathered creatures of the air. 



Also die faculty to use and apply any knowledge and experience 



U'ained. 



The Rose-breasted Grosbeak 



( Hedymeles liuiovicianns). 

 By F.Z..S. 



Alas! This beautiful species, once of frequent occurrence 

 on the English bird-market, is now seldom seen, though 

 occasionally a few appear. 



It is a native of North America and is there luuch valued 

 a-- a cage pet. both for plumage and song. 



It has a fine ai)pearance. and in size about equals the 

 Hawfinch and is of similar build, but has a less formidable beak, 

 lis plumage is a beautiful arrangement of dark and light 

 brown above; beneath it is white with a beautiful pink breast. 



* One can have tame hen Sparrows by hand-rearing them — I have possessed 



several such ; moreover, they retained their lameness after two or thre'^ 

 years in a large outdoor aviary. — W.T.P. 



