THE SPARROW. 69 



iemale are like the male domestic bird, though slightly 

 smaller and having a chocolate crown instead of a 

 grey one, to say nothing of some minor points of 

 difEereace. This bird is evidently a mountaineer and 

 forester on account of eligible city sites being barred 

 to it in so many places by its stronger relative ; for 

 when, as happened in one case, both were introduced 

 together into the United States, it was found that 

 Passer domesticus soon crowded out his weaker 

 relative, which, besides being smaller, is much less* 

 pugnacious, and not given to annoying other birds ; 

 likewise being a less free breeder, its capacities for 

 mischievous increase are far more limited, not the 

 least item in " Philip's " objectioaableness being his 

 appealing powers of propagation. Were he, indeed, 

 a less proUfic bird, no one would have a word to 

 say against him, for in many respects he is deserving 

 of the greatest admiration. Seen, as we see him 

 ill India, unsoiied by English town smoke, he is 

 really a pretty bird in his way — a fact of which one 

 might think him to be fully conscious, judging 

 from the persistency with which he displays his 

 charms before his plainly-attired spouse, who is 

 just as likely as not to peck him for his pains. No 

 doubt he deserves it, for he does not seem to be 

 addicted to those gentlemanly attentions of combing 

 his wife's hair and ofEering her titbits which are 



