19 



amused spectator of the little comedy for a full half 

 hour, during which time the birds must have visited 

 the nest on at least twenty different occasions, and 

 not once did they enter it empty-handed, or I should 

 say empty-billed. 



Whatever the food was, it was collected in the 

 grass, along the edge of a tiny stream that meanders 

 slowly through the garden, or among the ornamental 

 shrubs and flowers that luxuriate in its beds and 

 borders. I watched very carefully, and for some time 

 was unable to discover what it was that the Sparrows 

 were picking up ; then I perceived that the hen flew 

 down to a rose-bush I had noticed was covered with 

 green-fly, and there she quickly filled her mouth with 

 the insects and returned to her nest, and when she 

 had fed her little ones, she went back to the bush, and 

 so on several times, when she once more began to 

 rummage in the grass, always returning to the nest 

 with her mouth full, then she picked up something by 

 the margin of the little stream, or among the foliage 

 of the ornamental shrubs. Afterwards when I looked 

 at the rose-bush, I was able to see a decided decrease 

 of the numbers of its insect inhabitants. What the 

 birds collected by the side of the brooklet I do not 

 know, but I am sure they found caterpillars on the 

 shrubs, and little moths and flies in the grass. 



Just think of it! all those dear little insects that 

 enjoy life so much sacrificed to the appetite of a nest- 

 full of wretched Sparrows ! But it does not bear 

 thinking about. It may be objected that the insects 

 do harm to vegetation ; nonsense ! they have as much 

 right to live as the birds, especially Sparrows, and I 

 should like to see a nice kind Society established for 

 their protection. 



