T. W. Kirk.— Breeding Habits of the S2)arrou\ 109 



lication may induce other persons who have made rehablo 

 notes to help by recording their observations and experience. 



I shall assume, for the purposes of the calculation I am 

 about to make, that no extensive action is taken by man for 

 the destruction of his small opponent, if such he is to be 

 called ; and, as the natural enemies in this country are hardly 

 worth mentioning, we will allov: only for accidental and 

 natural deaths. 



Speaking of the natural enemies reininds me of an inci- 

 dent I once noted between Featherston and Martinborough, 

 showing to what lengths the daring and cool impudence of the 

 sparrow will sometimes go. Hearing a most unusual noise, 

 as though all the small birds in the country had joined in one 

 grand quarrel, I looked up and saw a large hawk {G. goiildi — 

 a carrion-feeder) being buffeted by a flock of sparrows — I 

 should say several hundreds. They kept dashing at him in 

 scores, and from all points at once. The unfortunate hawk 

 was quite pov/erless ; indeed, he seemed to have no heart left, 

 for he did not attempt to retaliate, and his defence was of the 

 feeblest. At last, approaching some scrub, he made a rush 

 indicative of a forlorn hoiDe, gained the shelter, and there re- 

 mained. I watched for fully half an hour, but he did not I'e- 

 appear. The sparrovv's congregated in groups about the 

 bushes, keeping up a constant chattering and noise, evidently 

 on the look-out for the enemy, and congratulating themselves 

 upon having secured a victory. I have heard of sparrows at- 

 tacking and driving away pigeons and other birds, but do not 

 remember any record of their daring to attack a hawk. 



In this part of the colony the breeding-season of the 

 sparrow begins in spring and ends late in the autumn — the 

 iirst broods appear in September and the last in April. 



I have examined a great many nests, but never found less 

 tiian five eggs under a sitting bird — more often six, and fre- 

 quently seven. These are usually all laid in one week. In- 

 cubation occupies thirteen days. The young are fed in the 

 nest for eight or nine days ; they then return to the nest for 

 two or three nights, after which they have to feed and lodge 

 themselves, sometimes assisted by the male bird. In five in- 

 stances fresh eggs were found in the nest along with partly- 

 fledged young. Both parent birds work in feeding the young 

 till they leave the nest, and at first I was much puzzled to 

 account for the fact that the second laying of eggs was not 

 spoiled during the absence of the mother. From my observa- 

 tion I am convinced that the chief portion of the work of 

 incubation — that is, after the first )>rood is hatched — is thrown 

 on the young birds ; for it must be apparent that the heat 

 arising from the crowding of five or six young birds into a nest 

 would be sufficient to cause incubation : so that by the time 



