28 THE HOUSE SPARROW. 



bed to winch it can retire when the arduous labors of 

 the day are past. For this purpose, its resting place is 

 crammed with feathers, which it procures from divers 

 sources. Even their roosting quarters are similarly fur- 

 nished. In the selection of a locality, these birds are 

 by no means particular. Their nests have been dis- 

 covered under the eaves of tiles, in creviced walls, in 

 decayed trees, and even in the orifices of old water- 

 pipes; in short, wherever the necessary materials can be 

 accumulated. Walls overgrown with ivy are favorite 

 places of resort, both for building and roosting purposes. 

 The immense numbers of nests which are built under 

 the nests of the larger birds in a rookeiy can only be 

 imagined by those who have witnessed such places. 



Sometimes, but rarely, these birds take to trees. The 

 higher branches of the apple and plum are ordinarily 

 chosen, but, when any other tree is selected, which is 

 occasionally done, it is never situated very far from an 

 occupied human dwelling. In such situations, the 

 structure is invariably domed, and is provided with an 

 entrance in the side. Externally, it is composed of a 

 profusion of hay; and is lined with a dense mass of 

 feathers. It is a large and rather clumsy affair. 



Not unlike other familiar birds, the sparrow is some- 

 what capricious in its choice of locality. Several ex- 

 amples are upon record of nests being placed on different 

 parts of a ship's rigging. For example, while the Great 

 Britain was lying in the Sandom graving-dock, two 

 nests were constructed by certain sparrows in the " bunts" 

 of the main and mizzen topsails. Mr. Thompson cites 

 the case of a nest which was placed upon the furled sail 

 of the Aurora, of Belfast. This nest, which remained 

 intact during the first voyage of that vessel to Glasgow, 



