HOUSE SPARROW. 547 



the prince, all buildings are alike subject to its intrusion. 

 The bird, however, that is reared in the smoky city, though 

 perhaps more bold, active, vigilant, and assuming than 

 that to be seen in the country, affords but a poor example 

 of the colours that ornament the bird, when seen in the 

 cottage garden, or at the farmer's barn-door. 



Of a species so well known as the Sparrow a very length- 

 ened notice is not required: the history of the bird in 

 one country is equally the detail of its habits in another. 

 This is certainly the case with our Common House Spar- 

 row, the geographical range of which, as a species, is very 

 extensive. 



Our Sparrow pairs early in the season, and like most of 

 those birds which are very prolific, great animosity and 

 numerous contests for choice or possession occur at this 

 season of the year. There are few persons who have not 

 witnessed in spring the bustle and confusion attending 

 what appears to be a sort of battle royal among Sparrows, 

 in which five or six individuals are seen indiscriminately 

 engaged attacking, buffetting, and biting each other, with 

 all the clamour and fury of excited rage ; but the matter 

 in dispute being adjusted, each retires from the scene of 

 contest to attend to his mate, and the performance of the 

 more important duties of the season. Their nests are 

 formed under the eaves of tiles, in holes or crevices in 

 walls, in the orifices of old water-pipes, or in any cavity 

 which will afford sufficient space for the mass of hay and 

 feathers collected for their dwelling. The first batch of 

 eggs usually consists of five or six, and two other sets are 

 frequently produced in the season. The eggs are white, 

 spotted and streaked with ash-colour and dusky brown, 

 varying considerably in the quantity of this secondary co- 

 louring matter ; the length of the egg ten lines, the breadth 

 seven lines. 



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