82 SPAEEOW. 



Though thus intimate and social with his own kind, it 

 was observed that this Sparrow was exceedingly shy and 

 timid with respect to human beings; for, though many were 

 witnesses to the above, they were obliged to keep at a dis- 

 tance, and use great caution, otherwise he immediately flew 

 away. The attention was carried on throughout the summer, 

 and extended to the beginning of autumn, when the visits 

 entirely ceased, whether intentionally on the part of the 

 Sparrow, or that he met with some accident, could not be 

 ascertained.' 



'That they will attend to their young, far beyond the 

 usual period, in case of necessity, the following anecdotes 

 will prove, though we believe many, if not most birds, will 

 do the same under similar circumstances; the experiment 

 may be easily tried, by slightly tying the wings of young 

 birds, when nearly fledged, or confining them by a thread 

 to the bottom of the nest, taking care not to injure them.' 

 Even, however, with any amount of care, I would not wish 

 to see this done, even though but for a short time, as 

 needless anxiety, at all events, would be caused both to the 

 old and the young bird. 



'A pair of Sparrows,' says Mr. Graves, 'had built their nest 

 in a wall close to my house. I noticed that the old birds 

 continued to bring food to the nest some time after the 

 brood had left it. I had the curiosity to place a ladder 

 against the wall, and looked into the nest, when, to my 

 surprise, I found a full-grown bird which had got its foot 

 entangled in some thread, which formed part of the nest, in 

 such a manner as to prevent its leaving it with the rest. 

 Wishing to see how much longer the old birds would feed 

 their imprisoned offspring, I left the young one as I found it, 

 and observed that the parents supplied it, during the whole 

 of the autumn and part of the winter months; but the 

 weather setting in cold very soon after Christmas, I was 

 afraid it would kill the young Sparrow, and therefore dis- 

 engaged its leg. In a day or two it went with the old ones 

 in search of food; but they continued to feed it till March, 

 and during the whole time they all nestled in the same 

 spot.' 



In the first volume of the 'Zoological Journal,' in a note 

 to the fourteenth page, it is stated that a pair of Sparrows, 

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

 observed to continue their regular visits to the nest long 



