ROUND ABOUT THE HOMESTEADS. 13 



breed as early as February, and continuing to do 

 so all through the year up to October. Eggs of 

 this species have been found during every month 

 of the twelve. As may easily be remarked, this 

 bird builds two very distinct types of nest. The 

 commonest type is in buildings, rocks, and hollow 

 trees, every nook that can hold a nest being 

 utilised in turn ; the other type is placed in the 

 branches of trees and amongst ivy. These two 

 nests are very different in construction, although 

 similar materials are used for both dry grass, 

 straws, cotton, twine, hemp, wool, hair, feathers, 

 paper, and rags being among the most usual things 

 employed. The nest in a hole is little more than 

 a heap of this rubbish, the warmest and softest 

 materials being used for lining ; but the nest in 

 the branches is well and skilfully woven, firmly 

 fixed in its resting-place, domed, with an aperture 

 in the top or side where the birds enter. Grass 

 and straws are the usual material of the outer 

 part, and the inside is lined with an amazing 

 quantity of feathers. The entrance hole is always 

 a mystery to me, and generally found with the 

 greatest difficulty. Indeed, it seems as though 

 the birds possessed some mystic means of entrance, 

 or were always careful to shut their door behind 

 them. Many and many a time have I been 

 compelled to tear a nest to pieces before I 

 could get at the eggs. Every one is aware of the 

 slovenliness of the nest of this bird ; and very 

 often it is betrayed by the long straws left 

 dangling out of the hole. The eggs of the 

 Sparrow are four or five in number, and present 

 considerable variation. They range from bluish 

 white to grayish brown in ground colour, more or 



