EVIDENCE. EFFECTS ON NATIVE BIRDS. 263 



not only did their best to [mil the nest to pieces during the bird's absence, but while 

 she was sitting on the nest and shaping it, two or three of them would fly at and 

 peck her until she was forced to take to her wings. (July, 1886. Present about six- 

 teen years. ) 



Middlctoicn. William P. Post: One morning last May I saw an English Sparrow 

 engaged in pulling to pieces the partly finished nest of a robin built in a tree beside 

 the walk. Supposing the Sparrow wanted the materials for its own nest, I stopped 

 to see what turn affairs would take when the owner of the nest should appear. The 

 Sparrow continued to tug at and pull out straws, strings, rags, mud, etc., dropping 

 them to the ground as fast as loosened, until the robin, with a load of 'new material, 

 perched on a neighboring tree before flying to the iicst. The Sparrow at once left 

 the nest, and taking up a position on a branch some distance above it, appeared to be 

 complete^ absorbed in its own affairs, remaining quiet and unconcerned while the 

 robin (who did not seem to see him) repaired her damaged nest, arranged the new 

 material she had brought, and started in search of more. No sooner had she gone 

 than the Sparrow returned to his work of demolition, and - utinued until again in- 

 terrupted by the return of the owner, when the same performance was gone through 

 without variation. I saw tbis exhibition repeated several times in the course of a 

 few moments, and when I finally left the robin was still trying to complete her uest, 

 and the Sparrow still doing his best to demolish it while. she was away. I was sat- 

 isfied that the Sparrow did not intend to use any of the materials of the nest, but 

 was simply trying to prevent the building of a nest in that place. Later I found the 

 Sparrow still busy in the same way, and the warfare was kept up for about a week, 

 until the ground was covered with the wreckage. Finally the Sparrow gave up the 

 attempt, and the robin, not seeming discouraged, raised her little family. 



Agaiu, the same month, while watching a chipping sparrow with its bill full of 

 cauker- worms, an English Sparrow appeared and attacked the chippy, which aban- 

 doned its load of worms and took to its winge. The English Sparrow examined the 

 worms carefully from all sides, but seemed to conclude that they were not what lie 

 expected, for he refused to touch them, and the chippy afterwards returned and 

 again took them in charge. (January 25, 1S87. Present about sixteen years.) 



Norwich. S. T. Holbrook : I have never seen an attack by our birds except in 

 self-defense. The bluebird and house martin are driven from their houses, and the 

 robin and wren are attacked, but the wren is a match for the Sparrow. (August 26, 

 lc86. Present twenty years or more.) 



Portland. John H. Sage: It drives off the bluebird, house wren, and purple finch, 

 the latter for some years occupying a balsam-fir tree until expelled by the Sparrow. 

 I have also seen it drive away the golden-crested kinglet, the redpoll, and the gold- 

 finch. (August 16, 1886. Present about seventeen years.) 



West Hartford. Dr. Fred. Sumner Smith. It has driven off (to a certain extent) 

 bluebirds, purple martins, orioles, warblers, and flycatchers, expelling them from their 

 nests time after time. (November, 1885.) 



District of Columbia. — Washington. Walter B. Barrows : Twice within the past 

 month I have seen Sparrows acting as escorts for robins. On April 2, while crossing 

 the Capitol grounds, a robin left a tree near which I passed and flew to another 

 about 25 yards distant. He was followed at a distance of a couple of yards by five 

 Sparrows which alighted all about him, aud all withiu a very few feet, but did not 

 attack him, and simply appeared to be waiting for him to move on. In the meantime 

 two or three more Sparrows joined the original five, and when the robin flew to the 

 next tree all of them followed closely and settled near him again. He seemed uneasy 

 and yet disinclined to fly agaiu, so I walked up within a few yards and watched for 

 the next move. The Sparrows chattered a good deal, but did not hop about much, 

 and the robin looked hopelessly about without uttering a sound or moving from the 

 branch where he had alighted. Presently I took a step toward him. and he flew de- 

 jectedly toward another tree at a little distauce, closely attended by his officious 



