PASSER DOMBSTICUS. 389 



another on the top of a street lamp, and sat on her eggs although 

 the lamp was lit nightly. One reared six young ones behind a 

 spare room grate. The occupant of the adjoining house was 

 surprised one morning to see the sparrow perched upon the 

 handle of the tea-kettle on the fire, having entered the wrong 

 flue. Though bold and familiar, it is alert and wary, and, like a 

 good church attender, can take care of itself — hardy, thrives 

 everywhere. In summer it destroys larvae, moths, and butter- 

 flies, with which its young are fed, making amends for the 

 havoc on the ripening grain. It has no song but yellup, yellup, 

 and when a parliament is held in some hedge or tree in the 

 pairing season, the Babel-like chorus and pugnacity of the males 

 are only equalled in the House of Commons when the closure 

 and gag are used to thrust an unworkable Home Rule Bill 

 down its members' throats, as on Thursday night, July 27th, 

 1893. Impudence is shrewd, like the fly on the lip of the lion ; 

 being in the Zoological Gardens in London, August 1888, I saw 

 a cock-sparrow alight and rest on the head of a rhinoceros, no 

 doubt knowing the huge brute was powerless to hurt it ; that 

 was true judgment — would that reason had as much discern- 

 ment when tampering with superior power. Yet I read in the 

 Scotsman that an " alligator and a sparrow were seen to engage 

 in a battle near Darien. The alligator provoked the bird by 

 snapping at him, which in turn flew furiously at its ugly 

 antagonist, aiming with precision at its eyes. The alligator 

 finally gave up the contest, and sought safety from the sparrow's 

 attacks by hiding itself under the water." I wonder if our 

 pert little friends prepare a cosy home for winter ? On October 

 7th, 1885, I watched a score of them fluttering about the old 

 Castle, alighting on projecting bits of stones, peering into and 

 entering every hole, as if looking for winter quarters — the day 

 was fine. And on November 16th I saw one collect a lot of 

 hair in my back court and fly off with it, as I have seen them 

 in spring enter my dovecot and fly off with the feathers to line 

 their nests. If they prepare for winter, let humanity take a 

 lesson. For hardiness the sparrow represents February, as the 

 robin December, for Spring says — 



" The robin steals your praise away, 

 In vain you brave the winter's cold ; 

 For all have eyes for feathers gay, 

 But no one marks your jerkin old." 



As a proof of quick nest building, I got one, May 13th, 1861, 

 on a wall pear tree at the Priory, with one egg in it. The 



