392 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



As nearly as can be ascertained it was first introduced to 

 Maine in 1854, when Col. William Rhodes liberated specimens 

 at Portland. (Rhodes, F. & S. 8, p. 165). Others were 

 liberated in the same locality in 1858 by T. A. Dubois (Eng- 

 lish Sparrow in N. A. p. 18). These attempts seem to have 

 been unsuccessful. Fifty were liberated near Portland in 1884 

 and seem to have survived (J. M. O. S. 1884, p. 46) if we may 

 judge by their successful distribution throughout the State. 



Though it is indeed lamentable that such an undesirable 

 foreigner was brought here, we must now make the best of it. 

 Indeed there is a rather interesting side to observe in this noisy, 

 filthy, quarrelsome, aggressive scamp. What is more exciting 

 than to watch two to six males, with drooping wings and up- 

 turned bobbing tails, squawking and hopping about a demure 

 dull colored female who turns swiftly to face and jab at this, 

 that or the other one of her noisy admirers who form a circle 

 about her. Finally away she goes with all in full squawk after, 

 squabbling and fighting one another in the air. Finally her 

 choice of admirers is made and nest building begins. 



A return or crevice in some building, an apartment in a 

 martin house, the top board over an arc light in the streets, 

 the interior of a bridge, ornamented vines on trees or about 

 houses or thick evergreen trees, and as a last resort when other 

 available places are used up the branches of elms and maples 

 are used as nesting sites. Both birds labor vigorously to carry 

 up hay, straw, rags, paper, feathers, twine and other material 

 out of which the large bulky nest is made. Some nests are 

 roofed over, others not. Some are a foot across externally by 

 nine inches deep, while internally they are about four inches 

 deep by three inches across, and always very warmly lined with 

 feathers internally. 



Five eggs taken May 27, 1900, from a nest placed on the 

 beam of a bridge at Stillwater, measure 0.86 x 0.62, 0.82 x 

 0.62, 0.85 x 0.62, 0.84 x 0.62, 0.85 x 0.62. Four to nine, 

 generally five or six eggs are laid. These are very variable in 



