196 THE SMALLER JWITISIT HIJIDS. 



continuing to bring food to the nest some time after the brood had 

 left it, he had the curiosity to place a ladder against the wall, and 

 to look into the nest. To his surprise he found a full-grown bird, 

 which had got its foot entangled in some thread that formed part of 

 the nest. It was doubtless one of the young which had been thus 

 prevented from leaving with the rest of the brood. Wishing to see 

 how long the parents would continue to feed it, he allowed it to 

 remain as it was, and observed that it was supplied by them until after 

 Christmas, when, fearing the cold would kill it, he released it. In a 

 day or two it went with the old birds, but they continued to feed it 

 till March, and during the whole time they all nestled together. 



" A few years ago," says Mr. J. Blaydon, of Pontypool, in the pages 

 of the "Zoologist," "I was sitting in a cottage, when my attention 

 was attracted to an unusual screaming of a small bird. I immediately 

 went to the back door, and saw that it proceeded from a House 

 Sparrow, that was fluttering about on the wall, at the base of which 

 was a duck with something in its bill, which it was endeavouring 

 to swallow. Upon attentively observing it, I found this to be a 

 callow nestling, and from the agonies of the poor Sparrow there was 

 no mistaking the parent; the feathers of the latter were all erect, 

 and it continued hopping and fluttering about, and uttering the most 

 distressing cries for the loss of one of its young, which I suppose had 

 fallen out of the nest." 



When the corn is standing in the fields, the Sparrows may frequently 

 be seen picking the grains from the ears; they also feed on the field 

 and garden peas, and the seeds of the charlock, mustard, groundsel, 

 and other plants. The loss occasioned to the crops by the depredations 

 of these birds has often caused the farmers to wage war with them, 

 but, as they are now beginning to find out, to their own cost; for 

 in those districts where, through the agency of Sparrow Clubs and 

 other organized systems of destruction, these useful creatures have been 

 exterminated or greatly reduced in numbers, the insects have increased 

 to such an alarming extent as to threaten the destruction of all vege- 

 tation. The fact that the number of caterpillars alone captured by a 

 single pair of these birds for the support of their young, is estimated 

 by competent authorities at not less than four thousand a week, will 

 help us to understand how they must repay the farmer a thousand-fold 

 for the grain they pilfer from him. But, besides this, the old birds 

 themselves feed largely on all kinds of insects, they free the beans 

 from aphides, and may be frequently seen darting on the common 

 white butterfly when she settles for the purpose of depositing her 

 numerous eggs on the cabbages, etc. In the flower garden too they 



