WILD PASTURES 



stump, but of all places they most love a 

 bird box near a dwelling, and, as I had 

 hoped, a pair came early in April to in- 

 spect mine. They looked them all over 

 appreciatively, seeming with delightful 

 courtesy to the builder to find it hard to 

 choose, but finally settled upon one in 

 the pear tree, and began to build. 



Meanwhile the yeggs had been watch- 

 ing with jealous eyes, lurking in the 

 shrubbery, sneaking about the eaves and 

 making sallies in small numbers from 

 around the barn. The English sparrow 

 has been called pugnacious. He is noth- 

 ing of the kind. He does not love a 

 fight. Bird to bird, there is nothing too 

 small to whip him. I have seen a chip- 

 ping sparrow, which is the least among 

 the pasture sparrows, send the poltroon 

 scurrying to shelter with all his feathers 

 standing on end. A cock bluebird, fight- 

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