178 The Sparrow. 



hole for an entrance, were fixed upon the walls 

 of houses several feet below the eaves ; " and 

 adds that "the sparrows delight in, and imme- 

 diately take possession of, these as nesting- 

 places." 



This fashion having, in London at least, so far 

 as we are aware, died a natural death, the sparrow 

 can hardly be blamed for taking possession of 

 what appear to it equally suitable building sites. 

 No account of the sparrow, whether of town or 

 country, would be complete unless mention were 

 made of its pugnacity. It delights in a row, 

 whether the object relates to its own affairs or 

 those of its neighbours. All who are in the habifc 

 of observing birds, and many who do not make 

 them their study, must again and again have 

 seen a group, or, perhaps a better description, a 

 bundle, of sparrows screaming, pecking at, and 

 falling over, one another, apparently possessed by 

 most insensate rage. The cause of the excite- 

 ment is as likely as not an altercation between 

 two birds as to the possession of a piece of 

 rubbish which both desire for nesting purposes. 

 A battle begins between the interested parties, 

 and immediately all the sparrows in the neigh- 

 bourhood, though they know nothing of the bone 

 of contention, think it is their duty, like the 

 seconds in the duels of old times, to join in the 

 fray. The combats are, however, generally of 

 short duration, as, after one or two good rounds, 

 the birds' fighting ardour is apparently satisfied, 



