BIRDS OF THE WAVE AND WOODLAND 107 



on the lawn with a bird in its mouth, there is at first a thrill 

 of indignation and horror, but when some one says, " It's only 

 a sparrow," the indignation is greatly modified and the horror 

 subsides. For though the cat may not catch a chaffinch with- 

 out reprobation, she 



may fatten on spar- 

 rows without re- 

 proach. 



Trying once to 

 breed poultry, I 

 found that ten spar- 

 rows to every fowl 

 meant double ex- 

 pense in feeding, 

 and as the sparrows 

 were not starving, 

 but only too lazy to 

 ofo and find food in 

 the fields, I had no 



compunction in ''harrying" them, though I would not 

 allow any one on the place to touch the nest of any other 

 bird whatsoever. Not that sparrows care for persecution 

 when it takes the form of pulling down their nests, for they 

 seem to rejoice at the opportunity of beginning housekeeping 

 all over again, and, as I have proved by experiment, will 

 have started a new family in a new nest three days after 



HOUSE SPARROW 



