IMPUDENCE OF THE SPARROWS. 115 



tim to this plot. He took the whole matter 

 most solemnly, and was so absorbed in the work, 

 that if a bit dropped, in the process of separat- 

 ing it from the shell, as often happened, he did 

 not concern himself about it till he had finished 

 what he had in his mouth, and then he turned 

 one great eye on the ground, for the fragments 

 which had long before been snatched by spar- 

 rows and gone down sparrow throats. The sur- 

 prise and the solemn stare with which he 

 " could hardly believe his eyes " were exceed- 

 ingly droll. After a while he saw through their 

 little game, and took to watching, and when a 

 sparrow appeared too much interested in his 

 operations, he made a feint of going for him, 

 which warned the gamin that he would better 

 look out for himself. 



It did not take these sharp fellows long to 

 discover that the young redbird was the easier 

 prey, and soon every youngster on the ground 

 was attended by a sparrow or two, ready to seize 

 upon any fragment that fell. The parent's way 

 of feeding was to shell a kernel and then give it 

 to one of the little ones, who broke it up and ate 

 it. From waiting for fallen bits, the sparrows, 

 never being repulsed, grew bolder, and finally 

 went so far as actually to snatch the corn out of 

 the young cardinals' beaks. Again and again 

 did I see this performance : a sparrow grab and 



