THE SPARROW IN AMERICA. 69 



safe in concluding that, however suitable my friend's 

 building may have been for nidificating purposes, for 

 the sparrow, like our common house wren (Troglodytes 

 sedon], is not at all fastidious in its selection of a house, 

 its abandonment was solely due to the conflicting natures 

 of the parties that sought to possess it. 



Some interesting observations, showing the reprehen- 

 sible conduct of the sparrow, have lately appeared in 

 the "Hartford Times" bearing date Oct. 17, 1877. As a 

 general thing, I care very little for newspaper science, 

 but these facts are so good, and correspond so closely 

 with notes of others and my own, and are such that we 

 should expect from the known character of this species, 

 that I cannot refrain from giving them further publi- 

 city. The story was given on the authority of a friend 

 of the writer's, who obtained it direct from the person 

 that witnessed the occurrences. This gentleman, a 

 resident of New York, had erected in his backyard, 

 during the spring of 1877, a large box for the accommo- 

 dation of the sparrows. It was so constructed that 

 twelve pairs of birds could find appropriate quarters for 

 nesting. These apartments were soon appropriated, and 

 the business of the season proceeded "amid the chip- 

 pering din of these fussy and pugnacious feathered 

 colonists." Sitting idly at his window one Sunday 

 observing the busy creatures, the gentleman's attention 

 was arrested by a cock-sparrow which came flying to 

 his place with a fine soft white feather in his bill. The 

 position of the box was such that he could look into the 

 compartments. In this case the bird was observed to 

 deposit the feather into an incomplete nest, and then 

 fly away. No sooner had he disappeared, than tlie nest 

 was visited by a female sparrow from the adjoining 



