16 Townsend, Habits of the English Sparrow. \fan 



fight elsewhere just as do the gamins. In fact there are many 

 points of similarity between the two species. 



About a year ago I watched two males in a fierce encounter on 

 the small grass plot in front of my house. One had the other by 

 the bill and held him back downwards on the grass. They were 

 both using their claws vigorously and bracing with their wings. 

 Occasionally they would roll over, or go head over heels. Breaking 

 apart they would fly up at each other like enraged barn-yard cocks. 

 Although I stood within two feet of them, so intent were they that 

 they did not notice me until I made an incautious movement and 

 they fled to fight elsewhere. 



A disgraceful fight between two female English Sparrows oc- 

 cured in front of my house one x\pril day. Catching each other by 

 the bills they pulled and tugged and rolled over on the grass. When 

 they broke away the fight was renewed a few inches above the ground 

 in fighting cock style. Three males appeared, and watched the 

 fight. One, evidently scandalized, endeavored to separate the 

 Amazons by pecking at them, but they paid no attention to him 

 and only after some time flew away, one chasing the other. 



The favorite food of the English Sparrow is the semi-digested 

 oats found in horse droppings, and I have noticed him to forsake 

 some raw oats spilt on the ground for the sake of these semi-digested 

 ones. Although scratching would be a useful accomplishment 

 in the acquisition of this his favorite food, he has not learned it 

 like many other sparrows, but he plies his stout bill vigorously like 

 an axe and effectually accomplishes the object. He has, however, 

 learned to use his tail as a prop like a woodpecker and he may 

 often be seen searching for insects in this position on a tree trunk 

 or even on the vertical side of a brick house. 



Like many other birds the English Sparrow suffers from hot 

 weather and shows his distress at such times by wide open mouth. 



English Sparrows are decidedly social in their habits. For 

 thirty years or more they have been in the habit of roosting at night 

 in the trees of King's Chapel burying-ground in Boston — perhaps 

 they were attracted by the English associations of the place. I 

 have made several observations of this roost. They frequent 

 the place throughout the year but are decidedly less numerous in 

 the spring months and most numerous during the fall and winter. 



