68 THE SPARROW, 



crumbs. Every child is acquainted with this innocent 

 little bird. Some children love to feed it, and if they 

 will do this every day, it will become so tame as to 

 come into the house after its meal of bread crumbs. 



The sociable and familiar habits of this bird continue 

 only during the summer season. In the fall it is not 

 seen about houses, but goes away into the fields and 

 hedges, where it stays until the approach of winter, 

 when it departs to the south to find a warmer climate. 

 The House Sparrow builds her nest in some thick 

 bush, preferring the cedar bush to all others. The 

 nest is made of dry grass, and lined with iiair, which 

 it costs her a great deal of labour to pick up. 



For a day or two after the young birds are hatched, 

 they are so small and weak, as not to be able to eat any 

 food, but after this they begin to chirp, and open their 

 mouths ; when the mother flies away, and brings them 

 some small worms, which are their first nourishment. 

 From this time she continues to feed them once in half 

 an hour, or oftener, during the day, until they are able 

 to take care of themselves. While the parents are 

 gone after provision, the young birds lie perfectly still, 

 and seem to sleep, not making the slightest noise un- 

 til she returns. When she arrives with the food she 

 wakes them up by a chirp, which they answer, and in- 

 staotly hold up their heads, and open their mouths to 

 receive it. The old bird takes care to feed them all in 

 turn, never neglecting one and giving the other too 

 much. 



When the young birds are so strong as to be fitted 

 for a short flight, the old ones, on a fair day, lead them 

 a little distance from the nest, taking care that they 



