8P.V.KKOW. 89 



Chauntry, Ipswich, that he has found a nest of the Sparrow 

 in the outside of that of a Sparrow-Hawk a singular locality 

 with reference both to the name and the nature of the bird. 

 'Whether,' he observes, 'the Hawk was keeping them till 

 they increased in size, or whether he had come to terms of 

 peace with them, I do not know.' They also often build 

 beneath the nests of the Hooks, with whose habits they 

 have nothing in common, making this use of their structures 

 as a defence for themselves, and also manifesting their 

 sagacious anxiety and contrivance for the safety of their 

 own broods. Frequently too they serve an action of eject- 

 ment against the Martins, and take forcible possession of the 

 nests they have so laboriously constructed for their young, 

 and thus is 'Love's labour lost.' Some have been known 

 to build their nests in the holes made by Sand Martins in 

 the side of a clay-pit, using, contrary to their usual custom, 

 but a small quantity of materials, adopting probably the 

 arrangement they found ready for them; possibly too in such 

 a situation the materials they ordinarily use in such abundance 

 might not have been readily procurable. 



The following appeared in the 'Glasgow Argus,' in May, 

 1846: 'Last week on the Aurora leaving the Bromielaw for 

 Belfast, a Sparrow's nest was discovered in the rigging; 

 but the birds did not choose on that occasion to accompany 

 their nest to the Green Isle. On the return of the vessel, 

 however, the Sparrows again visited their former abode, 

 which had not been disturbed by the voyage, and deposited 

 an egg in it, which attached them so much to it, that they 

 valorously left their native land and sailed with the Aurora 

 for Ireland.' 'The nest,' Mr. Thompson adds, 'rested partly 

 on the sail, and was destroyed by its being unfurled, when 

 containing one or two eggs. The vessel was accustomed to 

 sail every second day from Glasgow to Belfast.' 



I must, however, differ from Mr. Thompson's opinion as 

 to the honesty of the Sparrow, with regard to his neighbour's 

 dwelling. I fear that the 'Appropriation Clause' will be 

 found on record among his 'Acts,' and leave a deserved 

 stigma on his reputation. 



The Sparrow pairs early in the season, and two or three 

 broods are reared each year. A pair built a nest, and laid 

 several eggs, at Markle, near East Linton, about the 15th. 

 of December, 1842; a nest was found at Parley Abbey, near 

 Derby, on the 20th. of December in the same year, contain- 



