OF THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 4 1 



middle of June, when the birds are all nesting, does he lay aside 

 the gun and take time to count his treasures. 



The Sparrows, as a class, are also well represented near the 

 city. Some of them, such as the Fox Colored, White Crowned 

 and White Throated, being very handsome birds v/hich visit us in 

 Spring and Fall, but do not remain during the summer or winter, 

 the best known of this class being the English Sparrow, which has 

 been looked upon as an outsider, yet it is here now for good 

 (or bad, as the case may be), and is entitled to a place among the 

 others of its class. In all hsts of American birds at present it is 

 very unpopular, the principal charges brought against it being that 

 of eating the fruit buds and driving away our native birds. Some 

 time ago I gave the result of my observations, which appeared 

 elsewhere, but may be worth repeating here : — It was in the summer 

 of 1874 that I first noticed a pair of these birds about the out 

 houses, and in a few days they became quite familiar, having 

 evidently made up their minds to stay with us. I made them 

 welcome for old acquaintance sake, and thinking they would make 

 good settlers was about to put up a house for them, but before my 

 well-meant intentions were carried out it became apparent that they 

 were providing for themselves in a manner quite characteristic. 



On a peak of the stable was a box occupied by a pair of 

 swallows who were at this time engaged in rearing their young, and 

 of this box the sparrows seemed determined to get possession. The 

 swallows resisted their attacks with great spirit, and, their outcries 

 bringing a host of friends to their assistance, the intruders were for 

 a time driven off, but it was only to return again with renewed 

 energy and perseverence. The swallows were now sorely beset, as 

 one had to remain on guard while the other went in search of 

 supplies. Still they managed to hold the fort till the enemy, 

 watching his opportunity, made a strategic movement from the rear 

 and darted into the box quicker than I can tell it. He emerged 

 again with a callow swallow hanging by the nape of the neck in his 

 bill and dropped it on the ground below, and soon another followed 

 amid the distressing cries of the swallows who, seeing their hopes so 

 completely blighted, sat mute and mournful on the ridge of the 

 house for a short time, and then went away from the place, leaving 

 the sparrows in undisputed possession of the box, and there they 

 remained arid raised some young ones during the summer. 



