SPARROWS. 



223 



which had built in the thatched roof of a house, were observed 

 to continue their regular visits to the nest long after the time 

 when the young birds ought naturally to have taken flight. 

 This unusual circumstance continued throughout the year ; and, 

 in the winter, a gentleman, who had all along observed them, 

 determined on finding out the cause. He therefore placed a 

 ladder, and, on mounting, found one of the young ones detained 

 a prisoner, by means of a string, or scrap of worsted, which 

 formed part of the nest, having become accidentally twisted 

 round its leg. Being thus disabled from procuring its own living, 

 it had been fed by the continued exertions of the parents. 



An unfortunate Sparrow, who had also been made prisoner 

 in his own nest, met with a very different fate, being actually 

 killed, instead of preserved, by the over-zealous kind attentions 

 of his mate. The case occurred in the spring of 18 18, in 

 Surrey. The pair were in search of a place for building their 

 nest ; and the male bird finding a tempting hole among the 

 tiles of the roof, got into it ; unfortunately, he became entangled 

 in the broken mortar, and could not force his way back. The 

 female saw his situation, and after flying backwards several 

 times, twittering, and apparently in great distress, attempted 

 to pull him out. Several birds were attracted by the accident, 

 and came fluttering round, but were beaten off by the hen 

 Sparrow. She then redoubled her own efforts to get him out, 

 and seizing his beak above the nostrils, with her own beak, 

 pulled it so hard that she killed him. She did not appear, 

 however, aware of the mischief she had done, but continued 

 pulling at the dead body of the unfortunate bird with as much 

 perseverance as if it had been alive. She was, at length, driven 

 away by a person who saw the whole transaction, and with 

 some difficulty extricated the dead bird. Its head was dread- 

 fully mangled, and the beak of the hen had evidently penetrated 

 the brain. About an hour afterwards, a Sparrow, supposed to 

 be this hen, was observed sitting on the very spot where the 

 accident had happened, crouched together, with her feathers 

 all standing up, so as to give her the appearance of a ball, con- 

 veying a perfect idea of disconsolate suffering. 



Timid as birds are, attachment to their young will frequently 



