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ROCK SPARROW. 
compares tlie song to that of the E,eed Bunting, 
which is not paying much for it, but it is not without 
melody. 
In confinement the Bock Sparrow is very tame and 
sociable with its kindred. Brehm brought up a young 
bird which was very confiding in its manner to him. 
It would feed out of his hand, and let him know 
by a cry or a look when it wanted food. It sung 
before it was full-grown, and was heard constantly 
in October, being loudest when the other birds were 
singing. Leisler informs us that he brought up a 
young bird, which was very docile and an excellent 
mimic, having, among other qualifications of this kind, 
learned to imitate, much to his master’s annoyance, the 
cry of his Marmot. This bird, however, did not 
seem inclined to sing when people were in the room, 
but it was nevertheless very tame, comical in its habits, 
and mischievous. 
The Bock Sparrow feeds on seeds of various kinds, 
insects and their larvae, especially beetles, grasshoppers, 
and Naumann adds, I am sorry to say, cherries. 
Large grains of sand are often found mixed with the 
food in the stomach. It frequents ploughed fields, 
meadows, and roads, after corn-seeds, especially oats, 
which it seems to like best of the cereals. It is also 
a berry feeder. It lives in early summer on insects; 
and feeds its young, like the rest of its family, upon 
caterpillars and other larvae, together with beetles, 
grasshoppers, and moths, all of which it removes from 
the cultivated lands, very much to the benefit of the 
farmer, who rewards its relations for the same service 
in this country with a dose of poison. Naumann, 
however, expatiates upon the fondness of the Bock 
Sparrow for cherries, in search of which it will lead 
