The House Sparrow. 67 



Budgerigar, so perfectly that it was difficult, unless you saw 

 the performer in the act of singing, to tell from which of 

 the two birds the notes proceeded. 



Sparrows will eat anything, but the young are chiefly 

 brought up on insects, especially moths, of which a pair of 

 these birds will destroy a vast number during the summer; 

 that they do not entirely confine their broods to an insect 

 diet I am persuaded, for I have seen a hen Sparrow hop into 

 the Eagles' aviary at the "Zoo", when the royal birds were 

 feeding, and picking up the scraps left by the Eagles, fly 

 away with them to her nest in an adjoining tree, presumably 

 to feed her little ones. Those I kept were fed on seeds and 

 soaked bread, and never looked sick or sorry, though they 

 were wild and frightened to the last, when I opened the 

 door and they flew away, rejoicing doubtless at their recovered 

 liberty. 



Sparrows will build in any convenient nook or cranny, 

 under the tiles or slates, in hollow trees, holes in a wall, 

 and among the upper branches of tall trees, and even occa- 

 sionally in bushes of no great altitude, such as lilac, red 

 thorn, etc. In our old Breton chcLteau, they made their nests 

 by the dozen in the grenier that ran the whole length of 

 the house, and which was lighted by means of panes of glass 

 inserted among, and instead of, the slates; and through one 

 of these panes, accidentally broken, they obtained admission 

 to the loft. Erequently, too, they build in chimneys, or in 

 the pipes that conduct the rain from the roof. Bechstein 

 asserts that they will breed in an aviary, or a room, which, 

 however, I have been unable to induce them to do — certainly 

 I never tried very much, which is, no doubt, the reason why 

 I failed. 



He also says that a male Sparrow will pair and produce 

 mules with a hen Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus, "but a 

 male Tree Sparrow with a hen Sparrow does not succeed." 



In conclusion I do not think that I can recommend any- 



