BY OLIVE THORNE MILLER. 69 



of man's providing, while she, with finer instinct, had 

 decided upon a charming crotch in an evergreen tree. 

 At first she opposed him strongly, scattering the material 

 he brought, throwing the choicest bits to the winds, while 

 he stormed and scolded, and— brought more. In the 

 intervals between thwarting his plans, she would accumu- 

 late materials in the chosen tree. He scorned to touch 

 them ; he simply ignored her designs, and proceeded 

 with obstinacy almost sublime to bring, and bring, and 

 bring, till she was worn out, gave up, and accepted the 

 cottage at last. 



One of the most familiar habits of this graceless bird is 

 his delight in a mob. No sooner does anything occur to 

 disturb the even tenor of sparrow life, whether a domestic 

 skirmish, the first outing of a young family, or some 

 danger to a nest, than a crowd collects, not only as in- 

 terested spectators, but quite ready and willing to take a 

 hand in any sport or crime that is going ; not only a hand 

 but a voice as well. Loud cries always announce when a 

 rabble is at work. Whether, as is declared by some 

 observers, they drive away our native birds by this means 

 I am not sure. I have seen them annoy the cat-bird, the 

 robin, and the Baltimore oriole, but in each case they 

 were 'put to flight by the native bird; though no doubt 

 the experience is sufficiently disagreeable to induce either 

 of these birds to select a more retired neighbourhood for 

 nest-building. I once noticed the same tactics success- 

 fully applied to a cat which climbed up among the nests. 

 Next to the sparrow's m.obbing propensity is his impu- 

 dence. Not only will he insist on sharing the food of 

 chickens and domestic animals, but he is a common guest 

 at the table of the great bald eagles in the parks, and 

 does not disdain the crumbs that fall from the repast of 



